Epsilon
by soundwoov
Summary: TFP: Starscream learns that he's carrying a protoform, but how the slag did it happen, and with who? Megatron is furious and won't tolerate a sparkling aboard the Nemesis.
1. Chapter 1

**Need to get back into writing... haha. Reviews are welcome.**

***UPDATE: **

**Here's the meaning of some terms that come up in the story:**

**vorn = year / orn = day / joor = hour / breem = minute / klik = second**

* * *

~ Epsilon ~

"Ugh..." Starscream groaned as he placed a servo on his aching helm. Chassis sprawled on his berth, he began to sift through his processor of the events that occurred the previous orn.

Megatron had thrown a celebration onboard the Nemesis after finding a more than ample energon deposit during a mining excavation. As usual, these celebrations had high-grade energon all around, including _a lot _of overcharged mechs. Even the Vehicon troops and miners celebrated quietly with low-grade. Only Soundwave didn't participate in these little get-togethers, keeping himself busy by performing his usual monitoring duties in the shadows.

_That loyal fragger_, Starscream thought to himself.

What had Starscream been doing there? Knock Out was attracting attention to himself as usual. The Seeker had been exchanging mindless chatter with the red mech, and then...

He must have indulged a bit too much on the high-grade, because there was a large gap in his memory banks he couldn't recall.

Starscream lifted himself from the berth and headed toward the door, only to bend forward suddenly. Nausea crept into his fuel tanks. He felt the sudden need to purge. Allowing a few kliks to get over the queasy feeling, he exited his quarters and dragged himself unwillingly to the command deck.

* * *

Megatron was busy explaining to Soundwave his routinely instructions for Project Iacon, the location of relics, and finding more energon deposits on Earth.

"Soundwave, continue to decode the location of the next relic. I don't want any Autobot servos on what rightfully belongs to the Decepticons." Megatron finished. His optics fell on Starscream, who had been glaring at him the entire time while waiting for something to do.

"Have you anything for me to do, or am I just going to stand here until I rust?" Starscream growled impatiently.

"You will do well to not bother me, Starscream. I have no need of your assistance. You are dismissed."

Starscream sputtered. "W-... W-What?" Megatron eyed him irritably.

"Very well, _Lord _Megatron." Starscream left the command deck, sauntering down to medical bay.

* * *

Upon entering, Knock Out and Breakdown were busy repairing and making modifications to several Vehicons. Knock Out was working intently on one of them with speed and precision. The drone's neck cabling was torn and missing some major components, energon leaking from a gaping hole and dripping onto the medberth. A large slash started from the drone's right shoulder all the way down to its hip. Several wires and cables protruded from the slash. Knock Out was stripping black and red wires with his dentas.

"Breakdown, I'm going to need a terminal block." Breakdown handed him the item, and Knock Out began placing exposed tips of copper into the connector strips.

Starscream watched the process quietly. The mech surely knew what he was doing. Seeing the Aston Martin so absorbed in his work tugged at Starscream's spark. It reminded him of being a scientist back on Cybertron, after all, medics and scientists both had to be familiar with biology on some level. He longed to be stationed back at the science research facilities in Kaon, which were now no more. _That great slagger of a tyrant Megatron saw to that_, he thought bitterly. Starscream had tried to present his ideas to Megatron as a scientist in the past, but the warlord refused to see any value in the Seeker's "petty hobbies" as he called them.

Starscream let out a low sigh, lowering his helm. Knock Out finally became aware of his presence, startled. He almost dropped his tools, but then recovered by putting on his signature flashy smile.

"Got nothing to do, _Commander_? You don't look very busy."

Starscream scoffed. "Supervising, _obviously_."

"Hmm. Well, a scrapload of troops came in earlier after a run-in with the Autobots during patrol. We're just finishing repairs on the last of them. Not much to see, really..."

Starscream stood quietly for several breems. The sound of drills, electrical sparks, and tools clattering filled the medical bay.

He finally left to take a short recharge in his quarters.

* * *

**Hope you all like it so far! Feel free to review this, and if you see any mistakes do let me know.**

**I'll try to update this daily with a new chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

Starscream onlined his optics. It was still night, according to his internal clock. His fuel tanks were warning him that his energon levels were running low at forty-seven percent. That was strange, he could have sworn that his levels were at eighty-nine percent before recharging.

He got up and headed out into the hall. Starscream didn't encounter any Vehicon guards along the trip, thankfully. The Nemesis hummed beneath his pedes, and for a short moment he stood still to appreciate the rare silence that filled the halls before continuing down to medical bay. There was something about the night atmosphere and solitude that calmed him. As he made way to his destination, the doors slid open.

To his surprise, Knock Out was still at his work station, though it seemed Breakdown had already taken his leave.

"Commander Starscream? Well, this is a surprise. I don't normally see you out and about at this time." Knock Out was organizing his medical tools. Starscream ignored him, striding toward the energon supply room.

He wanted to be left _alone_.

He removed an energon cube and transported the contents into a cylindrical container, inserting the pointed tip of the container directly into an energon line in his arm. He drained the container of blue, glowing energon. Discarding the container, he paused to watch Knock Out clean up. The cherry-red medic was quite tidy, carefully placing each of his tools where they belonged, wiping up energon blood stains off of the medberths, neatly stacking data pads...

After finishing, Knock Out turned to leave, freezing upon sight of Starscream. _Why is he still here?_

"Did you need something?" Knock Out raised an optical ridge.

Starscream had been thinking about asking the medic about his suddenly fast-depleting energon levels. He decided that it must have been from the high-grade, but he should have recovered after one recharge from being overcharged...

_No_, he decided. He wasn't going to bother Knock Out over something trivial, much less show that he was weak. His pride didn't allow it. Knock Out continued to stare at Starscream with questioning optics. Starscream felt his faceplates heat up all of a sudden. He straightened from his hunched position to compose himself.

"It's n-nothing. Be on your way." he grumbled, servos behind his back. Knock Out gave him one final look, and then proceeded to leave. Making sure that Knock Out was out of sight, he retreated back to his quarters, wings drooping low behind him.

There was no point in going back to recharge _again_. Starscream grabbed a data pad from his sub-space, scrolling through its contents. Megatron had him review Soundwave's reports. It was the same as usual. Autobots picking up on their energy signatures, groundbridging to their coordinants from some unreachable base, butting helms with the troops, it never ended.

_Why can't those Autobots just quit already?_ he wondered. _Clearly victory resides in the servos of the Decepticons._

After all, the Decepticons had an enormous battalion of troops, much more sophisticated technology and a successful means of finding energon deposits. _Primus_, they were on the largest Cybertronian warship for crying out loud. The Decepticons were unbeatable.

Starscream dropped the data pad on the berth. The need to purge came back into his systems. There was an uncomfortable ache in his chassis. Lying on the berth, he hugged his knees closer to himself, denta biting down hard on his lower dermal plating as the pain racked his circuitry.

_The energon I consumed earlier must have been corrupted_, he thought.

The nausea intensified, his processor swirling with discomfort. He lurched forward, quickly darting into the washracks and heaved a great load of energon into a draining receptacle. His fuel tanks rejected the energon entirely, leaving it in its raw glowing blue form. He continued retching painfully.

There was no getting recharge tonight.


	3. Chapter 3

Megatron called a meeting at the command deck.

"Soundwave has tracked down the location of our relic at these coordinants." He pointed at the screen behind him. "Dreadwing, you will be the one to retrieve it, considering a certain _someone _has the nerve not to show up this orn. Your loyalty has never faltered in my presence, and this will be another test to prove your capabilities as a Decepticon."

"It is an honor, Lord Megatron." The azure and gold jet bowed his helm gracefully. "I promise you won't be disappointed."

Megatron turned to Breakdown and Airachnid.

"You will follow suit after Dreadwing with Breakdown. Make sure that no Autobot gets their servos on that relic. I'll be sending some troops to accompany you."

Airachnid smiled deviously, baring her fangs. "Of course, _my Lord_." Breakdown simply nodded his helm with a calm expression, while deep inside he was actually glad to be partnered with the spider.

Knock Out gave Breakdown a nudge on the arm. He knew that the blue mech had a little thing for the femme.

Starscream entered the room with a scowl. His wings were hung low, heeled-pede steps sluggish as he made his way down the command deck's bridge.

_What's the matter with him?_ Knock Out wondered. The Seeker usually set his wings high with pride to emphasize his rank. Right now looked miserable.

Scarlet optics were glued to the deck. The Seeker was still feeling horribly ill and exhausted from purging nonstop last night. He idly scanned the coordinants on the mainframe's screen, and then switched his gaze upon his master. Fear snapped him out of his weary state as the warlord towered over him.

"You're _late_." Megatron snapped, towering over Starscream.

"My apologies," Starscream spat, furrowing his optical ridges. "_Master_."

"Incompetent as ever, Starscream. I was originally going to appoint you to lead this mission, but knowing as you have failed me countless times, you will only be a hindrance to the group. Dreadwing will take your place."

"W-What... That's absurd! You can't mean that he'll take my post-..."

"Enough." Megatron cut him off. He dismissed the rest of the officers.

Starscream huffed as he walked out. He wasn't about to let that oversized jet steal his title as Second in Command.

_Oh I'll show him_, he thought._ I will be the one to get that relic, and no one shall stand in my way._

His little plan began to brew.

* * *

"Arcee, don't you ever quit? We all know how this will end." Airachnid released thick strands of webbing at her rival, causing the blue femme to blast at the foreign substance. The webs bound her tightly as she fell onto the dirt ground.

"Not a chance!" Arcee attempted to transform into her two-wheeled alt form, but the webbing was too strong.

Breakdown was just behind them battling Bulkhead. Massive servos collided against each other in a heated rage. Bulkhead's right servo transformed into a battle mace, coming in contact with Breakdown's red faceplate. Breakdown stumbled backward, wiping energon from his dermal plating.

A roar of wind pierced the skies, and something silver glinted for a klik. Airachnid looked up, hissing. She turned to Arcee, smiling.

"Sorry dear, looks like we'll have to talk some other time." She scurried to Breakdown, who was busy fighting Bulkhead.

"Seems like a certain coward is up to something. Gotta fly." Airachnid swiftly transformed into a sleek black helicopter and went in pursuit after the silver jet.

* * *

Dreadwing placed a bomb in the crevice of a cliff. The wall shattered instantly, rocks crumbling and debris falling. It revealed a spherical metal container containing the relic.

"Lord Megatron will be most pleased." he thought aloud.

As soon as he reached for the object, a red missile shot through the air, barely missing him by a few inches. It exploded right next to the relic.

"YOU FOOL!" Dreadwing bellowed. "ARE YOU TRYING TO DESTROY THE RELIC?"

Starscream dived down toward the cliff, transforming and landing with great force. He raised a threatening arm at Dreadwing, arming a missile. A smirk tugged at his faceplates. This was going to be a piece of carborundum.

"Step away from the relic!" the Seeker snarled.

"No. Megatron ordered me to deliver it to him, not you. I do not wish to disobey our leader's commands. It would be wise for you to do the same."

"Oh please," Starscream scoffed. "That slagger can melt in the Pit for all I care. Move away, now!"

An aching pain throbbed in his chassis. He ignored it, steadying his aim at Dreadwing.

"I'm sorry Starscream. It looks like you leave me no choice but to do this." He unsheathed his sword, positioning himself in a fighting stance.

"So be it."

Dreadwing lashed out, blade scraping Starscream's side. He bit back a cry as he jumped out of the way, firing his second missile.

"Is that all you can do?" he sneered. Dreadwing dodged the missile. The missile exploded on contact with the cliff. One side of the cliff, which was weakly supported by brittle stone, collapsed and sent huge slabs of rock along with the relic flying down into a canyon.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" Dreadwing watched in horror as the relic vanished in the hazy debris.

Not too far in the distance he saw Bulkhead and Arcee driving at full speed in the direction of the relic. The blue femme immediately hefted the sphere and threw it in Bulkhead's trunk. A groundbridge portal engulfed them out of existence.

Dreadwing gaped at the sight. They had lost the relic to the Autobots. He had failed Megatron. He would return empty-handed to his one and only lord, and it was all Starscream's fault. A foreign rage swelled up inside the blue jet's chassis. He violently snatched Starscream's arm, grip tightening with every beat of his spark. This mech didn't know what was coming to him.

Airachnid came into view. Immediately Dreadwing snapped out of his fury, loosening his grip on Starscream's arm.

"Ha! You beat me to him. So, where's our prize?"

"It's gone. The relic is _gone_, and the Autobots have it. You can thank _him_." He shoved Starscream forward roughly.

"If you could've stayed still and let me offline you, the relic would still be here!" Starscream remarked.

"Oh my. Lord Megatron isn't going to be happy about this in the least bit." She glared at the silver F-16, rendering him immobile with her webs.

Breakdown arrived, transforming. "Did I miss anything?"

"Well, the Autobots have the relic, and we've got a silly little mech responsible." Airachnid said darkly. Breakdown glanced at Starscream writhing in a tangle of webs.

"Let's get out of here."

Breakdown transformed into his alt mode, Dreadwing throwing Starscream onto his blue roof. They all retreated back to the Nemesis without a word.

Megatron waited, unaware of their failure.


	4. Chapter 4

Megatron busied himself admiring the dark energon shard in his servo. It glowed magenta, its deadly aura curling around the shard like tendrils of smoke. His audio receptors picked up the clanging of slow pedes coming to the command deck. He quickly returned the shard back into his subspace.

Something was wrong.

Dreadwing was first to arrive, falling to his knees and bowing so low that his forehelm touched the deck. Megatron raised an optical ridge. Airachnid and Breakdown followed after, the blue mech throwing a tangle of webs that was Starscream. Megatron gritted his dentas.

"_Where is my relic?_" Megatron's vocalizer hissed.

"M-My lord, we were... unable to retrieve it. We-..."

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" Megatron bellowed, raising from his throne. He roughly grabbed Dreadwing by the shoulder and proceeded to shout in his faceplates. "I GAVE YOU A SIMPLE TASK, AND YOU DARE RETURN WITH NOTHING?"

"Th-... The A-Autobots, they-... Starscr-..." Dreadwing stammered, wincing as Megatron dug his claws deeper into his shoulder.

Airachnid intervened. "My lord, Dreadwing is not at fault. Here's our _proof_." She pointed at Starscream with one spindly spider leg, hissing. Starscream had managed to free himself from the webs when they weren't looking.

There was a long pause. Megatron released his grip on Dreadwing.

"Explain."

Dreadwing fumbled for words. "I-I was just about-... about to retrieve the relic. Starscream arrived and proceeded to threaten me for the relic, and then-... and then we began fighting. One of his missiles caused the cliff to collapse along with the relic, and before we could collect it, the Autobots had already gotten their servos on it and left." He lowered his helm, ashamed. "I do not deserve forgiveness, my lord. It was foolish of me to engage in battle with Starscream. Protecting the relic should have been my first priority."

Megatron kept his hard, blood-red optics on Starscream the entire time. He directed his vocalizer at the others.

"Leave. _Now_." he ordered vehemently. The two mechs and femme scurried out of the command deck. Fear plastered Starscream's faceplate as Megatron drew closer.

"HOW _DARE _YOU DISOBEY MY COMMAND! YOU WERE NOT TO INTERFERE IN THIS MISSION, AND WHAT DO YOU DO?" He hefted Starscream by the neck, servo tightening around his vent cables. Starscream let out a choked squeak.

"I-I-... apolo-..."

"YOU DARE LAY A SERVO ON ONE OF MY OFFICERS? I SHALL HAVE YOU THROWN INTO THE SCRAPHEAP!" Megatron threw him. The silver mech crashed to the ground, intakes gasping for air.

"Nn-... n-no..."

"THIS IS YOUR PUNISHMENT!"

He pinned the Seeker by his wing, slowly carving deeply into the other wing with his claw. The high-pitched sound of metal tearing filled Starscream's audio receptors, hot searing pain excruciating to his sensitive wing. Audio receptor-splitting shrieks reverberated in the command deck as Megatron clobbered merciless servos repeatedly against Starscream's helm. The tyrant tore into the cabling under the Seeker's shoulder armor, energon splattering onto the deck. Starscream let out a sobbing cry, coolant pooling from his optics.

Megatron stood, forcibly slamming a pede down onto Starscream's faceplate.

"This is only the beginning." he threatened.

* * *

Megatron stormed into medical bay, shoving Starscream to the floor. Knock Out stifled a gasp, optics wide as Starscream was reluctant to move. His optics were shut.

_Was he still online?_

"See to it that my Second in Command still functions." Megatron left the room.

Knock Out hurried to Starscream's side, gently lifting him onto the medberth. He stood back to observe his condition. He couldn't help flinching at the sight.

"Oh frag..." he mumbled. This wasn't the first time he'd seen the Seeker in medical bay. Megatron had always given harsh beatings for Starscream's innumerable attempts to dethrone him, but this time it was serious.

There were rough scratches and grooves all over his silver chassis. Cables had been ripped out of his arms, wiring components exposed and dripping dark, murky blue energon. The glass on his cockpit was shattered, and his face... _Primus_, Knock Out thought. A long, deep slash started from his left optic, cutting through his dermal plating diagonally and ending on the side of his chin. There were nicks and scratches on his faceplate where Megatron must have punched him senseless. Knock Out carefully tilted Starscream's chin up. Some of his vent intake cables were exposed. This was going to take a long time.

He began to work quickly. Knock Out hooked up life support cables to Starscream, adding a sedative to shut down his pain receptors. He inserted a tube into the exposed intake cables to allow proper air flow, and then started sealing Starscream's energon lines to prevent any more energon from leaking out. The process was a delicate procedure. All energon lines were connected to the spark. Any slip ups could increase the chance of a disabled spark, which meant the possibility of Starscream offlining. He replaced several components in Starscream's arms, connecting them to a brick that relayed his motor programming.

It was exhausting.

Knock Out found difficulty in working around the bunched-up cabling, some of them exposed and some untouched, so he ended up replacing the whole unit. Starscream's fuel tanks were depleting at an alarming rate, according to the monitor. He typed in a code to grant him access to the fuel tanks, and then attached an energon feeding line to them.

Several joors later, Knock Out let out a whistle, viewing his work. He had worked on the serious damage on Starscream's vital components enough for them to function properly, but there was still much more to be done.

"Nn..." Starscream's optics onlined. He stared at the life support cables connected to him. Gritting his denta, he pulled them out one by one. Knock Out gaped. He waved his servos frantically in front of him.

"What are you doing!? You're not even ready to get up yet. I haven't finished everyth-..."

"I feel fine, _Knock Out_, never better!" he spat, pushing away Knock Out's servos. "You're a brilliant physician, _now get out of my way_!"

The moment he stood, his knees buckled, and then he slumped to the ground, letting out a cry of surprise. Knock Out sighed, extending a servo. Starscream hesitated, but seeing his own helpless condition, he accepted it. Knock Out lifted Starscream to his pedes, pushing him back onto the medberth.

"You're not going anywhere." he warned, pressing a digit to his chestplate. "Not until I finish repairs."

"_Fine_." Why did the mech have to be so difficult?

Knock Out resumed his work. Starscream stared at him during the entire time, expression unreadable. He watched as electrical sparks danced on his arm while Knock Out drilled some bolts in. The medic looked up from his work, catching Starscream's optics. There was a long pause as the two mechs stared at each other. Starscream felt his faceplates heating up again for some reason. Embarrassed, he turned away and offlined his optics.

"Huh." Knock Out continued to work long into the orn.


	5. Chapter 5

Knock Out was just finishing the last touches, buffing Starscream's armor until it gleamed a shining silver. He could make out his own crimson reflection in it. He knew it was unnecessary to do, but he liked being thorough with his work. Setting down his tool, he brought his face closer to Starscream's, cupping his face delicately with gentle servos. Starscream stiffened.

"W-... What are you doing?" he blurted out. Knock Out tilted Starscream's face to the left, observing where the slash had once been. The metal filling he had tempered was hardening properly. He took a moment to admire his faceplate, optics trailing over his sharp curves, finally settling onto the Seeker's scarlet optics. Starscream stared, his intakes hitched. Knockout released his hold on him.

"Just checking to see if I missed any spots. You're all set to go." He jotted some notes down onto a data pad with a stylus. "I'll need to do a follow up later in a few joors to make sure you're functioning properly, so don't get into any scraps with Megatron. I'd keep away from him for a while."

Starscream slipped down from the medberth onto the deck, balancing himself. Before exiting the door, he turned to Knock Out.

"...Thank you." he said simply. Knock Out didn't bother to turn around. A small smile grew on his dermal plating.

"No problem."

* * *

_Now what? Megatron's furious. That beating... Primus, that was probably his last straw. He'll surely strip me of my rank and give it to Dreadwing... What will he do when he sees me again? I bet he lets Knock Out repair me just so he can do it all over again. That slagger, I hope he rusts in the Pit! Frag it all... _His processor swarmed with curses directed at the warlord.

Starscream walked with his servos behind his back, seeing a figure emerge from the dark end of the hall. It was Soundwave. The communications officer silently passed by him without a single glance, almost hauntingly before disappearing around the corner. The sudden urge to fly tugged at his processor. He couldn't stand being grounded on the Nemesis. Maybe he could get Soundwave to groundbridge him out... No, that stoic mech was even more loyal to Megatron. He wouldn't let him, Starscream reasoned. He sighed, punching in the code to his quarters as he slipped inside quietly.

He fell backward onto the hard berth with spread-out wings, staring through the little round window planted on the ceiling. Dusk had a soft amber glow in contrast to a dark, star-scattered sky. There was something serene about looking at it, he noted, drinking in the visually pleasing sight. A familiar aching pain crept up into his chassis, making him cringe. This happened before Megatron had beaten him, he recalled, remembering his fight with Dreadwing. Was it a virus? Perhaps Knock Out missed something while he was repairing him... He folded in on himself, bringing his legs closer to his chestplate. Doing so seemed to make it feel better. He replayed his memory banks back from medical bay.

_Knock Out's touch was so careful, holding and turning his helm to the side as though it were very delicate. There was something in the medic's crimson optics that bothered the Seeker. He wanted to look away from them, but couldn't help losing all thought in his processor at that moment. He saw his own silver reflection in Knock Out's optics, and finally he looked away._

The memory made his faceplates heat up. What was he getting so worked up for? He shut his optics and drifted into a silent recharge.

* * *

Starscream returned to medical bay, only to find himself greeted by Breakdown. He scanned his optics around the area searching for Knock Out, but found no sign of him.

"Where's Knock Out?"

"Um... He was ordered by Lord Megatron to, er, do a ground patrol." That wasn't true. Knock Out had been waiting for quite a while to run a diagnostic on Starscream, but had the urge to fulfill his driving habits. He volunteered Breakdown to take his place.

"Really?" Starscream smirked, drawing in closer to the blue mech.

"Yeah... He volunteered me for the job." Breakdown knew that Starscream would berate him later for street racing.

Promptly adjusting himself onto the medberth, he said, "I see."

Breakdown began by carrying out his routinely medical protocols, scanning Starscream with what looked like to be a datapad, only that it was larger and square. As it passed over his helm, Starscream noticed that the screen was a translucent green grid, mirroring an x-ray version of his inner helm structure. Breakdown let the grid retract into a small, rectangular device before inserting it into the computer, allowing it some time for it to download Starscream's scans.

"My work is done here... You can go now, Commander." Breakdown said, turning to Starscream.

Starscream acknowledged him gruffly and started for the door, servos behind his back.

As soon as the silver jet left, Breakdown released a huff of air from his intakes. Being around the Seeker was stressful for him. He hated watching Starscream reprimand Knock Out over little things that didn't even matter. It seemed like the slagger was taking out his lack of authority with Megatron on his friend... This thought made anger swell in his spark. He tried to ignore it.

He let his processor wander, suddenly distracting himself with the thought of Airachnid. She was a strange build to most Cybertronians, resembling the Earth's spiders, but he found her rather intriguing. If only he had the bolts to confess his feelings for her... He knew it was dangerous, especially with her odd "collecting" habits. The Vehicon troops made sure to clear away from her path, finding her multiple legs to be disturbing. He sighed.

The monitor beeped once, displaying that the download was complete. He reluctantly scrolled through the scans. Everything looked fine from what he could tell, though his medical expertise about a Seeker's structure was limited, so he decided to leave the rest for Knock Out to look at.

He left to recharge back in his own quarters.


	6. Chapter 6

Knock Out entered medical bay, scoffing at a minor scratch on his door armor he acquired from a street race.

"Can you believe what some skinjob did to me?" He looked around. "Breakdown?"

He must have gone to recharge. A single monitor was still active, displaying Starscream's diagnostic scans. He wandered over to it, optics observing information regarding his vital signs, and then he scrolled down to the x-rays. Nothing out of the ordinary, but wait... He zoomed in on the Seeker's spark. There was a barely noticable line of energy leaking from it... Knock Out entered a command prompt to have a closer look at the details. According to the monitor, there was a source in Starscream's spark that was in the process of downloading a complex code, draining its host of energon at an alarming rate.

"No way, this can't be..." Knock Out murmured, optics wide. It all made sense now. The time when Starscream was up to get energon... A Vehicon had come to him before with concern for his Commander, noting how he heard purging in his quarters... Even at the command deck, Starscream looked exhausted, his wings, which he once proudly spread out were drooping low. _Oh frag_... Megatron had nearly offlined him _during _his condition. He wondered if his beating caused any disruptions in the coding. He powered off the monitor, processor overwhelmed with his discovery.

Starscream was carrying.

* * *

Megatron commed Knock Out to the command deck.

"Lord Megatron, you called?"

"Knock Out. How is my Second in Command functioning?"

"His vital signs are up and running, but..." He paused. Knock Out wasn't about to let Megatron know the fact that Starscream was carrying. "There are still repairs that need to be done." he lied, hoping to buy some time to come up with a plan. Megatron spoke.

"Starscream fails to amuse me with his traitorous backstabbing. Let this be a warning to all Decepticons, Knock Out, for I will not tolerate treachery under my rule. I will show no mercy to those who oppose my command." He glared down at Knock Out, who in contrast looked small from his view.

"You are dismissed."

Knock Out mustered up the ability to walk as calmly as possible, heading out of the room. The moment he wasn't in sight of Megatron, he fled back to his post, passing by several confused Vehicon troops patrolling the hall. He attempted an internal comm link to Starscream, requesting an invitation through his firewall.

_Yes, yes, what is it?_

_I need you to come back to medbay, now._

_Oh, is that so? Might I be given an explanation as to... why?_

_No time to explain. Just come. _Irritation nipped at his processor.

_Fine. _He disabled the comm link as soon as he entered, Breakdown giving him a look of concern as he saw his friend appearing troubled.

"Knock Out, what's up with you? You look like you're going to freak out."

Knock Out closed his optics, taking a deep intake of air at an attempt to clear his processor. He shook his helm.

"You're not going to believe this one."

* * *

Starscream entered the room. He was clearly agitated. What more did the medic need to look at? He had been looked at and scanned _twice _already.

"Well? You called me in here." The Seeker growled, servos balling up into fists.

"I need to confirm something..." Knock Out motioned at the medberth. Breakdown was behind him.

Starscream exhaled audibly, positioning himself flat onto the medberth.

"Get on with it, then." Knock Out used the same scanning device as Breakdown had. On the monitor closest to Starscream, he brought up an image of the scan. It was the same as before. He zoomed in on his spark area.

"Look at that."

Starscream arched an optical ridge, confused. He squinted at the image, unsure of what he was supposed to see.

"What of it?"

"Something in your spark is using you as a host, hence why your energon levels keep dropping so fast. See that thin line right there? That's its feeding line."

"_Alright_, it's a virus. Why don't you stop talking and start removing it, then?" He gritted his dentas.

"It's not a virus." Knock Out snapped, hesitating. "It's... It's a sparkling."

Starscream was stunned, optics wide as his dermal plating parted.

"I-Impossible!" he denied. "Check those scans again, your device must be faulty!"

"I have, and it explains everything I've witnessed." Knock Out said, waving a servo back at the monitor.

"How can this be? I've _never _even had-..."

Knock Out intervened, a cocky smile playing at his dermal plating.

"What? Never had your port breached?" Breakdown couldn't help but burst out laughing, his chassis shaking.

"Shut your vocalizer." Starscream hissed, optics narrowing. Breakdown vented deeply, attempting to refrain from any more laughter.

"Do you know who the sire is?" Knock Out asked quietly, leaning in close. Starscream shook his helm, averting his optics. He never bothered to interface anyone in the past, nor was he sparkbonded. Just how could this have happened, unless... unless just maybe, during the celebration... After all, things had started after that. He had been way too overcharged to record any of the events that happened that night. Perhaps some slagger had the bolts to take advantage of him, he thought. Rage swelled in his chassis. He would find the mech responsible and tear him to pieces.

"Is there a way to find out?"

"I'm not experienced in this sort of field, but... I do recall that sparklings at this stage are downloading its genetic Alpha codes from the sire, and also its Beta codes from the carrier, you. Until it has finished that process, we cannot determine who the sire is. I'm sorry."

A long pause drifted between them. "Can you... get rid of it?"

Knock Out stiffened. "I don't know. Aborting a sparkling at this stage could cause problems to your spark, as it is directly connected to it right now... I'll have to look into it, perhaps I might find some info lying around here. You can go ahead and rest now. I'll comm you if I found out anything." He gave a reassuring smile to Starscream, who was brooding.

The moment he left, Knock Out turned to Breakdown.

"Wow... Starscream's in some real deep scrap this time." commented Breakdown. "So, who do you think did it?"

Knock Out sighed tiredly. "No idea, Breakdown, but I hope to Primus that it isn't one of us."

He began to research.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sticky slash near the end!**

**Don't like, don't read.**

* * *

Once again, Starscream was enveloped in the darkness of his quarters. It had been several orns now. He recieved no word from Knock Out, nor had Megatron bothered to give him commands. The warlord clearly wanted to further humiliate the Seeker, pretending as though he didn't exist, as if he wasn't needed. On top of that, he felt disturbed having another life form inside of him eating away at his energy. Starscream didn't want anyone seeing him in his weakened state, so he shut himself away in his quarters, not once coming out. He checked his fuel tanks: thirteen percent of energon remaining. He slipped off of the cold berth, steadying himself onto his pedes. Instead, he ended up falling back onto the berth, feeling immensely drained. There was no way he could make it to the energon storage room in this state. He commed Knock Out.

_Sorry for not contacting you earlier, Lord Megatron sent me on patrol with Breakdown._

There was a long pause.

_Starscream? Is something wrong?_

_No. Sorry, my processor just blanked out for a moment. Could you bring... an energon cube to my quarters? If it's not too much trouble..._

_Sure thing. Will be there._

He ended the comm link sighing. A couple breems later, Knock Out arrived in front of the door, an energon cube glowing in his servos. The doors opened automatically. He peeked inside the dark room.

"Starscream? Here's the cube you asked for." Starscream looked at the red mech from the berth, positioning himself so that he was seated upright. It felt like his spark skipped a beat... He motioned with his long, black servos for Knock Out to come in.

Knock Out seated himself on the edge of the berth.

"I found some information regarding sparklings in the database." he said. "Once that sparkling finishes downloading its genetic coding, it's going to move into your gestational chamber." He poked Starscream's abdomen. "There it will relay its genetic coding to build its protoform. It will take a matter of orns at that stage before it's ready to come out."

Starscream almost spat out some energon.

_"_In just a matter of orns?!" Starscream exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yes... During that period your chassis will make adjustments to accommodate the sparkling. You won't be able to change into your alt mode for a while." Starscream finished his cube, setting it to the side. He didn't say anything for a while.

"Soundwave probably knows about this. I just realized he has surveillance on medbay."

Knock Out shifted. "Frag. Hopefully he'll keep silent and not report it to Megatron. I didn't hear anything from him about it yet." he said, shrugging. Starscream hung his head.

"That loyal fragger is bound to tell him. He always does. I swear, with that cold demeanor he might as well be a drone. He doesn't even have a face." he scoffed. Did Soundwave have a face? If he did, he always hid behind that visor of his... No one had even heard him speak with his own voice before. The dark mech was detached, indirect.

"We can only hope that he won't tell him."

Starscream sighed, turning to Knock Out. Their optics locked in a gaze, staring intently. His spark was pulsing uncontrollably, faceplates hotter than ever. Whatever this thing with Knock Out was, it was driving him mad. The red mech's dermal plating curled up into a smile, watching the Seeker quiver. He scooted closer to Starscream, putting his face just a little too close for comfort next to the silver mech's.

"Something wrong?" he asked quietly. Starscream shivered.

"N-No... Mmf!"

Knock Out couldn't resist himself. He filled the gap between them, servos on both sides of Starscream's narrow helm, pressing his smooth dermal plating against the other's. The Seeker was rigid for a moment before he finally eased out of tension. Starscream moaned into the kiss, pressing his frame closer to Knock Out. The red mech deepened the kiss, optics closed as a silver servo trailed down the Seeker's backstruts, digits working their way up to his wings. He traced the base of the wing, earning a shudder from Starscream. They broke apart, optics gazing feverishly at one another, and then resumed. Knock Out nipped at Starscream's dermal plating, pushing him slowly backward until he lay against the berth, climbing on top of him. He pressed his servos down on the Seeker's thighs, though not forcibly, waiting for an invitation.

Starscream's scarlet optics onlined.

"I-Is... Is this okay?" he stammered, looking down at Knock Out. He felt his temperature climb.

"Only if it is to you. If you're wondering about the sparkling, nothing's going to happen, it's too busy downloading to be disrupted."

Starscream felt an aching need in his valve. He could feel lubricant pooling behind his interface panel uncomfortably. He wrapped his long, slender legs around Knock Out's waist, pulling him closer. His interface panel clicked open, port exposed.

"I want... you..." he vented, arms snaking their way around Knock Out's neck.

That did it. Knock Out's panel clicked open in response. He lowered his spike closer to Starscream's heated port, sinking in slowly. Starscream arched his hips at an angle, relishing in the feeling of being filled as the spike touched his sensory nodes. He moaned into Knock Out's neck cabling, his inner thigh grazing the crimson mech's hip. Knock Out began a rhythm, thrusting deeper into Starscream's port with heated passion. Clanging metal echoed in the room as their frames rocked against the berth.

_Primus_, he thought, crying out with each buck. He was so close now... Knock Out pulled out completely, leaving Starscream confused before planting a messy kiss on the corner of Starscream's dermal plating. He gave one hard, final thrust into his valve. Starscream gasped, sharp digits digging into Knock Out's back plating. He arched his back in an intense overload, servo clasping on top of his vocalizer as he let out a strangled cry, triggering Knock Out's own as he spilled transfluid into him. He continued to buck into his valve at a quickened pace. Soon his thrusts slowed, and then he pulled out, lying flat on his back while catching his intakes. Starscream vented deeply, curling up beside the red mech. Knock Out pulled him in, wrapping an arm around his chassis.

They drifted together into a warm recharge.


	8. Chapter 8

Starscream's systems came online, his chassis feeling relaxed and strangely warm. His processor was still hazy from whatever had happened. He pressed himself closer to the heat source, only to find that it moved in response, holding him tightly. He onlined his optics, and to his horror, he met Knock Out's recharging faceplate. He abruptly pushed the red mech off of him, Knock Out awakening with a jerk.

"Wha-... Starscream?" He seated himself upright. Starscream had already gotten to his pedes, staring down at his legs, which were covered in sticky transfluid. He hastily attempted to remove it with his servos.

Starscream growled, glaring at Knock Out vehemently. He had let the mech frag him. What was he thinking? But then again, nothing was clear in his processor when the red mech was around. He suddenly felt vulnerable, weak, as though he couldn't even repress his own foolish desires... He was just about to speak when suddenly his optics grew wide, servos fleeing to his abdomen. Starscream bent forward, dentas gritting in pain as he dropped to one knee.

"Starscream!" Knock Out cried, clambering over the berth to reach him. He attempted to heft the Seeker up. Starscream winced in pain as he let out a whimper, bringing the other mech down with him.

"I-... It _hurts_..." he sobbed, clutching his legs close to his chestplate. Knock Out hoisted Starscream up, arms protectively holding the Seeker close around his back and legs.

"We're going to medbay, now." he said softly. Starscream's chassis shook, tremors of pain piercing his systems. He nodded quickly, burying his helm in the mech's neck cabling. Knock Out walked into the dim hall.

Several Vehicons gave them odd glances as they passed by, but it didn't matter to Knock Out.

He had to get to Breakdown.

* * *

"Whoa." Breakdown hurried to Knock Out, who was holding Starscream. Knock Out propped him on the medberth.

"You're going to have to straighten yourself, Starscream. I can't scan you like that." Starscream was still hugging his legs together. He moved his legs away from his abdomen, jerking back to his original position. Slowly, but painfully, he tried again until he straightened himself flat onto the medberth, pain receptors flaring.

"Breakdown, I need a scanner." Breakdown quickly handed him the item, yellow optic filled with concern.

Knock Out passed the scanner over Starscream's chassis, and then brought up the images on the monitor.

"Looks like the sparkling has finished downloading its coding. The pain you're feeling right now is the process of the sparkling moving down into your gestational chamber. Once it gets in there, it will begin building a protoform around its spark. There's no chance in stopping it now..."

"Well, frag..." Starscream grumbled. What did he deserve to be in this state? Breakdown drew closer.

"I don't think you can keep hiding this, Commander... Megatron's gonna find out for sure."

"If Soundwave hasn't told him already!" Starscream snapped. He didn't know what to do. Perhaps the warlord could spare him for once, maybe see value in the sparkling... Would he dare try to harm him while he was carrying? The tyrant hadn't shown him an inkling of mercy before... Fear wracked at his processor. He was truly scared. Either way, he was bound to find out sooner or later.

"I... I'll tell him." he said, venting deeply. He looked down at his legs, which were still covered in dried transfluid.

"But first can you... er, get this stuff off of me?"

* * *

"There had better be an explanation for dragging me down here, unless you wish to waste my time." Megatron entered the medical bay, a look of irritation growing on his faceplate, Soundwave following him. His optics scanned over Starscream, whose wings were trembling. Knock Out was behind the Seeker, along with Breakdown keeping himself busy by cleaning in the background.

"M-My l-lord... I need to tell you s-something... Um..." Starscream began stuttering.

"What is it?" he snapped, causing the spindly mech to flinch. Starscream looked at Soundwave, whose screen visor pulsed something. The mech to his surprise must not have told him.

"I'm..." He paused. He was really going to say it.

"OUT WITH IT ALREADY!"

Starscream gulped, averting his master's optics. "I'm... carrying." Megatron froze.

"How long have you been keeping this from me?" His tone was low and dangerous.

Knock Out interrupted. "W-We found out just this orn, Lord Megatron."

"Tell me who the sire is." He gripped Starscream's shoulder hard, shoving him to the ground. "That's an _order_."

Starscream whimpered, scooting away from him as his lord stepped closer.

"I-I don't know, really, I swear by P-Primus!"

"_You lie_." Megatron raised a threatening servo, pulling his arm back to strike. Knock Out started for Starscream.

It all happened within a matter of kliks.

Soundwave's extension cables slithered fast on the ground before winding themselves tightly around the tyrant's arm, tugging warningly. There was a long silence, all mechs staring in surprise at the communications officer's defense act. A static frequency crackled in the air.

"_Suggestion: do not attack carrier_." It was the first time anyone heard Soundwave speak. His voice was low and monotone through a vocoder, forceful. He released Megatron's arm, retracting his cables as he lowered his pointed helm.

Megatron let his arm drop to his side. He stared long at his Third in Command before finally turning to Starscream. Knock Out was at the Seeker's side. Megatron glared hard at Starscream.

"Abort it, then. I will not tolerate a sparkling aboard this vessel!"

Knock Out stepped forward, optics wide as he spoke frantically. "L-Lord Megatron! If we do that, the process will offline him! His spark is connected directly to the sparkling, and if we override it now, Starscream's spark activity will be suspended. It's too late."

Megatron turned away, heading out. "Once that _thing _is born then, _I_ will be the one to determine if it lives or not. Soundwave, come at once. A little _reminder _of your place is in good order." The dark mech hesitated for a moment before proceeding down the hall with his lord. They disappeared from sight.

Starscream appalled. It was cruel of Megatron to even consider offlining the creation inside of him, not to mention that he called the sparkling a _thing_... Coolant formed under his optics. His chassis shook with hatred for the warlord as he clenched his servos into fists.

He wasn't going to let him win.


	9. Chapter 9

The next orn, Soundwave silently strode into medical bay. Knock Out noticed that the communications officer didn't have his little drone Laserbeak on him, leaving his chestplate exposed. There was a crack in his black visor, which must have been from the _reminder_ Megatron gave him. He stopped in front of the medic, standing still. Knock Out broke the silence.

"What you did back there... I want to thank you for stopping Lord Megatron. It was rather unexpected."

Soundwave nodded, and then replayed a recording of Megatron's voice.

"_Don't worry, your little pet is safe with me. I must admit, Soundwave, I am surprised to be lecturing you for the first time. I don't want my most trusted officer getting sidetracked with personal opinions now. Do not challenge my authority again, unless you wish to see your dear Laserbeak meet her end. Have Knock Out repair your visor. You are dismissed._" He pointed to his own cracked visor.

"I don't think I have any replacements for that... If you want me to work on your faceplate, you're going to need a sedative. Unless-..."

Soundwave's long, dainty digits went to his own visor. He unlatched it, handing the visor to Knock Out. The red mech stared. His faceplate was a gleaming chrome silver with a small line that was his mouth. Bright violet optics with white pupils stared curiously back at him, thin optical ridges slanted.

_Huh_, Knock Out thought. _Not bad-looking for a mech._

He accepted the visor and set to work on it.

* * *

Over the next orns, Starscream avoided everyone by shutting himself in his quarters. It was still hard for him to believe that he of all mechs was carrying. His chassis later on made adjustments, abdomen free of armor plating, revealing a black metal surface with blue energon line patterns. At first it appeared as a little bump, which rapidly grew throughout the orns. Once the growth seemed to stop, it was actually quite smaller than what he had in mind. He was still too embarassed to be seen by the others like this.

Knock Out would stop by on occasion to leave an energon cube at his door, doing nothing more to give him some space. Starscream didn't even want to confront the medic, remembering that they interfaced previously... He felt dirty and weak, as though he had let his instinctual circuits get the best of him. At least their little session didn't have any effect on the sparkling. Starscream couldn't help his situation with the mystery mech who caused this mess in the first place. He tried to imagine what he would do if he found out who the sire was. On top of it all he felt humiliated and degraded by Megatron. His master was probably disgusted with him, as though he couldn't be reduced any lower to this state. He wondered what would happen if Megatron didn't want to spare the sparkling... Some internal instinct made him want to protect the sparkling if it ever came to that. He sighed tiredly while laying on the berth, wrapping his arms around his abdomen where the little sparkling resided inside.

He heard slow steps outside his door. It was probably Knock Out again.

"Starscream, can I come in? I... I want to talk to you." He didn't want to answer, but at the same time, he felt bad for ignoring the mech. Knock Out had always been there for him during all those times Megatron punished him, taking care to see that he was fully functional and even bothering to work on little details that were unnecessary. The way he looked into his optics, his gentle touch... He was even going out of his way to give him energon now. Perhaps he would reassess his attitude toward the mech.

"...Fine." The door slid open. His spark throbbed, optics relaxing upon seeing Knock Out's silhouette.

Knock Out stepped inside, walking next to the berth. Moonlight filtered through the ceiling window, partially lighting Starscream's faceplate, the rest of his chassis hidden by shadow. His scarlet optics glowed in the darkness.

"I just wanted to check up on you and see how the sparkling's doing... Here, I brought you an energon cube."

Starscream took the glowing cube, setting it to the side. He quickly pulled Knock Out down to him, dermal plating crushing against the other's. The surprised mech obliged, a servo caressing the edge of Starscream's jaw as he kissed him. He worked his way down the Seeker's neck cabling, eliciting a soft moan from him. Starscream's temperature climbed as his pulled Knock Out closer to his chestplate. He wanted all of him so badly.

"Oh?" Knock Out looked down. "You're this far already?" He rested a gentle servo on the Seeker's abdomen. "Let's not be too hasty, then." He pressed a gentle kiss on the corner of Starscream's mouth, and then pulled away slowly. His crimson optics lingered on the Seeker's, a soft smile on his faceplate. Starscream got off the berth, standing. Knock Out slowly pushed him back to sit on the berth.

"Don't overwork yourself, Starscream. You need rest." Knock Out brushed a digit on his cheek. He turned to leave. Starscream watched as the door slid shut behind him. He hesitated for a moment. There was something he wanted to tell him. He climbed off the hard, cold berth, running after Knock Out.

* * *

Knock Out walked down the dim hall, the sound of his pedes echoing. His audio receptors caught the sound of someone coming closer to him. He turned around, and to his horror he saw Starscream struggling to catch up to him, intakes gasping for air. He ran to him, servos flying to Starscream's skinny arms.

"Starscream, I told you to rest! Why didn't you comm me?"

"Knock Out, I-... Ah!" A splashing sound caught Starscream's attention. He looked down. There was a puddle of energon beneath him, liquid trickling down his legs. Something kicked inside of him, causing him to shriek in pain. He slumped to the ground, whimpering. "W-What's going on?" he choked out. Knock Out slung Starscream's arm around his own shoulder, propping him as he guided him down the hall.

"We need to get to medbay. Now!"


	10. Chapter 10

"Breakdown, it's time!" Knock Out shouted, lifting Starscream onto the medberth.

"You mean the sparkling...?"

"Yes," he vented. "I'll be needing a sedative to shut down his pain receptors." Breakdown fumbled in the supply storage room before returning with a cylindrical container with bright yellow liquid in it. Knock Out took it from him, attaching a rather large needle to it. He propped Starscream to sit up straight.

"W-What is that? You're not going to put that... that _thing _in me, a-are you?" he spluttered, struggling to remain upright.

"It's going to help lessen the pain, I promise." Knock Out searched his backstruts, finding a spot under the base of his wings. He plunged the needle between the metal to get into an energon line cable, the liquid draining from its container. Once finished, he gently pushed Starscream back against the medberth.

"It'll take a few breems for the sedative to kick in." he said.

Soundwave entered the medical bay, quietly ghosting over the deck as he moved to Starscream's side. Breakdown's yellow optic widened.

"Here to watch the, er, you know..." he stammered, servos full of various medical supplies. The mech nodded his helm silently, turning to face Starscream. The larger blue mech set the supplies on a cart with a monitor attached to it. He plugged it into the wall, bringing it closer to the medberth. Knock Out connected several wires under Starscream. The monitor immediately brought up a scan of Starscream and his vital statistics.

A sudden contraction racked the Seeker's pain receptors. He cried out, his long black digits scraping the medberth. _The sedative should be working by now_, Knock Out thought. Did he do something wrong? Maybe he put it in the wrong place... Anxiety flooded his processor. He didn't want Starscream to be susceptible to pain during the process. He whipped around, facing Breakdown.

"I need another sedative!" he snapped. Breakdown searched the supplies hastily.

"W-We're all out, doc."

"Slag!" They didn't have enough time to make another batch of the sedative.

"How about putting him in a temporary stasis lock? You could use the command prompt to do that." Breakdown suggested, pointing at the mainframe.

"No, he needs to be online for this." His processor was in a fritz. During his medical training back on Cybertron, he never witnessed any sparkling births. He was trained specifically for the war, only knowing how to do repairs on soldiers wounded from battle. Back then, there wasn't time to settle down with a bondmate and have sparklings. All Cybertronians were on edge and suspicious of each other. It was impossible to know who belonged to what faction. They eventually resorted to building mechs by hand and having the sentience-giving computer Vector Sigma infuse sparks into them. It was practical and impersonal, a perfect method for generating mechs built to be soldiers. That was all there was to it, and now... He didn't know what to do, but he couldn't give up. Not now, not when Starscream needed him most. At least Megatron wasn't here to worsen the situation.

Knock Out carefully spread Starscream's legs apart, while Soundwave held the Seeker's servo lightly. He was so different now, Starscream thought. Maybe the spy did have a little emotional circuitry hidden in that dark chassis of his. Another contraction hit him, his sensors flaring in agonizing pain. He bit his lower dermal plating, optics squeezed shut.

How long was this going to last?

* * *

Several long joors passed by, and Megatron couldn't take it any longer.

Where was his communications officer? He was supposed to be decoding the Iacon database for the next relic. He had sent Dreadwing and Airachnid off on a scouting mission for the Autobot base, hoping to retrieve the relic they lost to them. He clenched his dentas, rage boiling in his circuitry. How incompetent they all were! Was it so difficult to carry out his demands? He thought about Starscream and his treacherous ways.

Yes, he once recieved dark amusement in watching his traitorous Second in Command's failures, but now the mech was nothing more than an annoyance. He was useless to his master, a pathetic excuse for a mech. And now Starscream was carrying. Megatron frowned in disgust. He didn't imagine that the Seeker could sink this low. It was pitiful. He'd rather have seen a Vehicon take his place. At least they were more proficient, heeding his command without question.

He huffed, optics glowing with dark energon. "_Drone_, find Soundwave and bring him to me!" he ordered a nearby Vehicon.

"Y-Yes, Lord Megatron." it said, bowing quickly before darting out of the command deck.

* * *

Starscream wailed, coolant streaming from his optics as his legs were spread out, port exposed. Knock Out pressed a servo down on his abdomen, encouraging him to push.

"Starscream, don't give up now." Knock Out heartened, gently squeezing his servo.

"I... I-I cant..." he sobbed, scarlet optics looking at him helplessly. He let out another cry. Soundwave rubbed his shoulder in attempt to calm the Seeker. Breakdown came over, dermal plating parted in surprise.

"Is that its helm?" he wondered aloud, optic glowing with newfound astonishment. Starscream pushed, a spurt of energon gushing out.

"Don't stop, keep going! You're almost done."

His servos tightened around Knock Out and Soundwave's as he threw his helm back, shrieking in agony. Knock Out helped pull the sparkling out, and finally, Starscream let out an air intake of relief, letting his helm drop against the medberth. He offlined his optics.

The sparkling still had its sac clinging to it. Knock Out used a small blade and made an incision, letting the nutrient gel seep out before completely removing the sac. He brought the sparkling to a washbasin and used a mild solvent to clean it. When he was done, he returned to Starscream.

"Starscream..." he called softly, Soundwave sitting him up. The Seeker roused, taking a klik before his optics adjusted its focus on the sparkling in front of him. He reached out for it, bringing it closer to his chestplate, stunned with the little creation in his arms.

The sparkling was so small, so fragile looking. From helm to pede, the protoform was completely white, light blue energon lines glowing. In the center of its chest was its little spark exposed. He could see thin black cabling inbetween its plating. The sparkling had a pointed helm shape similar to Knock Out's, its mouth open like a tiny "o." Identical black and scarlet optics with white pupils stared back at Starscream in wonder. Small arms reached out to touch its carrier's faceplate. Something blossomed in Starscream's spark that he never felt before, the feeling both intense and delicate as he held the sparkling. He turned his helm to Knock Out, expression still amazed.

"He's yours..." he vented.


	11. Chapter 11

The drone didn't know where to start searching for the communications officer. Most Vehicons were afraid to be around the mysterious mech, especially because of his deadly extension cables. They knew that he monitored their every move and would report them to their lord, so they put up a front by acting like mindless drones. It was easy, considering they had masks and v-shaped optic lenses with wide visual range, making it so that they couldn't be obviously seen looking at other mechs. The Vehicon opened a comm link, speaking with a low vocalizer.

_Troop #ST-3V3 comming in. Any sightings on the Third?_ That was their code name for Soundwave.

_Affirmative. He might be at medbay, I just saw him pass by not too long ago. Before that, Knock Out was bringing Commander Starscream there... Steve, I think he was, er... about to deliver a... a sparkling._

_Oh Primus, r-really?_

_Yeah. I wouldn't go to medbay if I were you now._

_Got it. Comming out._

Steve stopped in his tracks. Things just kept on getting stranger on the Nemesis. He was supposed to get to Soundwave... But that meant walking into medical bay, which clearly was off-limits at this time.

Did Lord Megatron know that Commander Starscream was having a sparkling? He couldn't just disobey his lord's order, but at the same time, it seemed safer not to get tangled in the messy situation. That was between his lord and officers. Perhaps he could blend in with the other Vehicon patrols and pretend that he got lost looking for Soundwave.

It was best not to get involved.

* * *

Knock Out stiffened. He didn't even remember doing anything to Starscream during that high-grade celebration. What was going on in his processor? How would Starscream think of him now? The circumstances that led to him being sparked in the first place, it was all because of Knock Out. Maybe Starscream would see him as a dirty opportunist who claimed him when he was most vulnerable. Guilt swelled in his spark. Even before Starscream was carrying, Knock Out had developed a desire to protect and care for the Seeker, especially from all those times Megatron nearly offlined him. And then these past few orns... His feelings for Starscream had deepened into something more, something he'd never felt in vorns. He watched as Starscream held the sparkling close to his chestplate. He never imagined being a sire, and now it was happening to him.

Breakdown slapped a heavy servo down on Knock Out's shoulder, grinning.

"Congrats, doc."

Knock Out sighed sadly, moving closer to Starscream. Deep down, he was afraid. A war wasn't a suitable environment for raising a sparkling. He didn't know how the Autobots would react if they found out another Decepticon had been born into the entourage. And then there was the question of Megatron's approval. Cold dread entered his circuitry. If Megatron refused to spare the sparkling...

"Er, do you want to... hold him?"

Knock Out nodded. Starscream passed the sparkling into Knock Out's arms, a blank expression on his faceplate. The little sparkling continued to stare with wide, curious optics. It hadn't made any noises, simply looking around its surroundings and the mechs around it.

Knock Out let out a heavy sigh, keeping his optics on the sparkling as he spoke.

"Starscream, I-... I'm sorry that all this happened because of-... because of me. You probably hate me now... I'm not going to make any excuses, it's just-..." He groaned, pausing. "I'll take full responsibility for this one. It was never my intention for you to bear this burden... I'll take care of the sparkling."

"You mean we."

Knock Out snapped his helm up, dumbfounded. The corners of Starscream's dermal plating curled up into a soft smile. He felt his faceplate warming slightly.

"So, what should his name be?"

* * *

Painfully slow breems passed by. That drone sure took his time, and Megatron's patience was growing thin. Airachnid and Dreadwing entered the command deck.

"_Did you recover the relic?_" he seethed. Dreadwing shook his helm. Airachnid stepped forward, her multiple spider legs retracting to her back.

"About that-..."

Great, another failure.

_"_I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!" he boomed, rising from his throne. The mech and femme flinched. "We have lost _countless _times to those pathetic Autobots, and it is all because of your mindless blundering. You all have no regard for our cause. _And you call yourselves Decepticons_."

He stormed off.

"What's got up his tailpipe?" Airachnid remarked. Dreadwing sighed heavily, lowering his helm.

* * *

"Soundwave, do you have any suggestions?" asked Starscream.

The dark blue mech placed a single digit on his helm thoughtfully, thinking of how small the sparkling was.

"_Suggesting designation: Ep-..._"

He was about to reply when suddenly the entrance door spun open, revealing Megatron's massive gunmetal-grey frame. Starscream felt his spark pulsing uncontrollably, his faceplate pale with dread. It felt like his spark was going to burst out of his chestplate. Knock Out tucked the sparkling so that the door on his arm shielded it away from Megatron's view.

Megatron eyed Soundwave hard with blood-red optics.

"Soundwave, how _kind _of you to ignore my orders just so you can go gallivanting elsewhere. I was expecting you to decode the Iacon database, but I see that you are already busy here." he said, vocalizer laced with sarcasm. The dark blue mech remained silent. His optics switched to Starscream on the medberth and Knock Out beside him. There was a puddle of energon beneath the Seeker, his inner thighs covered with the glowing blue substance. Knock Out was holding something he couldn't see. Megatron drew near.

"_Show it to me_." he ordered Knock Out. The red mech reluctantly gave in, revealing the sparkling. The sparkling simply stared at the warlord above him, its little mouth closed in a line. A pair of tiny servos reached out to Megatron, curious of the shiny frame before it.

"Quite a brave little soldier we've got here." he remarked, paying the sparkling no second glance. "Unlike some other _weakling _I know."

He turned to Starscream, bringing his helm closer to the cringing Seeker.

"You've been having a little fun with my medic?" he growled warningly, clutching Starscream's throat. "The Nemesis wasn't built for having leisure time. Perhaps you've forgotten the urgency our war demands of us. I will not allow any of my servants to bring imminent failure to the Decepticon cause."

"P-Please, Lord Megatron..." Starscream choked as the massive servo tightened on his intake cabling. The warlord hefted Starscream by his neck, dragging him off of the medberth as he pushed Knock Out away. He shoved the Seeker to the deck below them, pinning him down by slamming a pede onto his wing.

"For vorns too many, Starscream, I've let you off the hook for your follies in hopes that you'd actually rise up to your rank as Second in Command. My one and only great mistake."

"N-No! Lord Megatron! I can change, just give me a-another chance!" he pleaded, failing to move the giant pede off of him.

"Another chance just so you can stab me in the back as usual? Highly unlikely. You have become useless to me now. Don't worry, I'll take good care of my new soldier after I arrange a meeting with Primus for you." He charged his fusion cannon, its light glowing deadly.

"N-NO! P-PLEASE DON'T!" Starscream scrambled to get out from under Megatron's pede, clawing at the deck in anguish.

"It's time to put an end to your wretched existence."

He fired.


	12. Chapter 12

Knock Out felt time slowing down all around him.

Each pulse of his spark was slow and heavy, his processor frozen. He tried to move some part of his frame, but none of his commands were registering in his motors. The sparkling was still close to his chestplate. The only thing he could do was to hold onto the sparkling for their dear lives.

Blinding light exploded in the room. The roar of the fusion cannon rang in his audio receptors.

He opened his optics. The explosion had burrowed deep into the deck, floor paneling torn and debris floating in the air. As soon as the dust settled, he gaped.

Megatron's optics grew wide, his mouth drawn in a tight line. It was dead silent for what seemed like long breems. He finally spoke.

"Soundwave, you fool..." he murmured, his optics narrowing.

Before him was Soundwave crumpled on the deck. The blast had blown through Laserbeak and his spark chamber paneling, just barely missing his spark. Murky purple energon blood oozed from the gaping hole in his chassis, dripping onto the destroyed deck under him. His long, black digits twitched violently in short bursts.

Starscream stumbled to get to Soundwave, throwing his servos onto the dark mech. Knock Out kneeled beside his tilted helm. The mech's black visor was shattered, revealing only half of his chrome faceplate. There was coolant leaking down from his shut optics, trickling down his angular jaw and dripping into his neck cabling.

Soundwave couldn't believe it. The one mech he had great respect for had turned downright cruel. Was Lord Megatron truly this cruel, cruel enough to snuff the life force out of a sparkling's carrier? But then again, from the very beginning, Soundwave had witnessed his lord extinguish the sparks of thousands of Cybertronians, seeing them drop one by one... Was there a difference now? He had let it happen before apathetically, loyalty making him blind to his lord's judgment. But now... He didn't know what to make of the situation anymore.

The sparkling made a little peep in Knock Out's arms, staring at Soundwave. His violet optics onlined in response, helm turning to face the little sparkling. This sparkling... From the time he knew that Starscream was carrying, something struck his processor. This sparkling had hope concealed in that little frame of its, a hope for change born into a new generation. Perhaps the sparkling symbolized his inner desire for both factions to come to peaceful terms, his one and only secret wish. The innocent little mech was untouched by the filth of war, processor free of the death and destruction Soundwave had to endure for millions of vorns. It made him think of how there were much more important things to live for. He didn't even know what the Decepticon cause was anymore. All he knew was that the war needed to end now.

"_O-Observation: sparkling... small, but h-has hope_..." His vocalizer was scratchy and dwindling away. He forced his arm to stop spasming, carefully brushing a digit on the sparkling's faceplate. The sparkling's scarlet eyes looked back at him, wrapping a tiny servo around his digit. Soundwave smiled weakly.

_This one little hope..._

"_Suggesting designation: Ep-... silon_..." His optics offlined, fading to empty darkness.

"SOUNDWAVE!" Starscream cried out, shaking the mech's shoulders. Knock Out lowered his helm gravely, placing a servo on Starscream's back to tell him that it was too late.

Breakdown took initiative. He silently strode to Soundwave, carefully lifting his petite frame from the broken deck and setting him onto the medberth. He hooked up life support cables to his chassis, hastily watching the monitor for any signs of online activity.

* * *

Megatron hadn't moved an inch during the entire time. He had simply watched, faceplate devoid of expression. Without a word, he exited medical bay. The image of his communications officer lying on the deck like a broken doll burned in his processor. He had shot Soundwave. _Soundwave_, his most loyal and trusted officer, the mech that proved to be his equal back in the Gladiator Pits in Kaon.

He had always threatened to offline Starscream countless times in the past, and even managed to brutally beat the scrap out of him. With Starscream, Megatron had never felt remorse for punishing him. It was what he had to do to keep his Second in check. But with _Soundwave_... Although he knew that he didn't intend on hurting him, something about the mech's current state shattered him deep down to the core. The fact that Megatron's actions were enough for even the stoic mech to stand up to him made him question his own conduct. The mech had thrown his life in front of Megatron's wrath to protect Starscream.

Like an Autobot.

Perhaps this was why his officers kept failing him. He had always threatened using physical violence on them as a way to remind them of their place, but this only added to their fear and lack of respect for him. He understood now. Optimus was able to gain his team members' loyalty and high-regard for him through respect and integrity. Megatron was the complete opposite. His officers didn't have a choice in following him. He was in charge, and if his cause demanded more servants, he was going to get them one way or another, even if it required force. They were all frightened into servitude just for the tyrant to spare their lives.

Megatron paused.

_No_, he decided. He was not going to be the one at fault here. If Soundwave was offline, then that was the price he paid for his own foolishness in defending that worthless Starscream. That was the result of his poor judgment. He didn't need another mech blinded by their own stupidity and going against his rule. He already had enough bumbling fools clawing at each other and failing to carry out his commands.

_But wait... No!_ he thought, realization striking his helm._ I need Soundwave to decode the Iacon database_. No other mech could match up to Soundwave's intelligence and processor speed. All of those vorns of data collected was stored in that mech's processor... Valuable information that would be forever lost if he were to offline. Megatron's might was powerful, but he had to admit that without his Third, he would be nowhere.

He finally arrived at the command deck, shoving a Vehicon away from his station and accessing a visual comm link.

"Knock Out, I order you to repair Soundwave. He contains valuable information regarding the Iacon Project!" he barked. "My work will _not _be for nothing!"

He terminated the comm link.


	13. Chapter 13

Starscream was inside his quarters, sitting on the berth as he held the sparkling. It was dark, except for the soft moonlight that peered through the round ceiling window. The glow reflected off of the sparkling, making its pearl-white plating luminescent. It was in a deep recharge, its little chestplate rising and falling with every air intake. Starscream gently placed the sparkling down beside him.

Knock Out had sent Starscream away so that the sparkling wasn't exposed to the harsh sounds from repairing Soundwave. It was still difficult for him to believe what happened back there with Megatron. Starscream had truly thought he was going to offline for once. He had seen that dark look in Megatron's red optics... His lord wasn't tolerating playing games with him anymore. He was dead serious that time.

And then there was Soundwave. He couldn't believe that Soundwave had thrown his life out in front of Megatron just to save him. The mech had paid the price by suffering. Coolant formed on the corners of Starscream's optics as he angrily bit down on his lower dermal plating, squeezing his optics shut. He buried his faceplate in his servos, chassis shaking with silent crying.

_I don't deserve to live_, he thought. What had he ever done for Soundwave for him to sacrifice himself?

Before, he had actually _despised _the mech. Soundwave was praised highly by Megatron for being the most compliant of all officers. This ticked off Starscream to no end, as he was envious of Soundwave's ability to get Megatron's approval without even trying. The mech had often ratted Starscream out for his attempts to dethrone or offline Megatron. The Seeker found no reason to like him. He had made this known, often making rude remarks or blaming Soundwave for his own failures. To him, Soundwave was a silent, uncaring drone that did whatever Megatron told him to do.

But all of that had changed since the past couple of orns.

So why had the mech stopped Megatron from attacking him before, and why did he feel obligated do it again? He couldn't imagine that Soundwave was considering having Megatron give him another chance at being second in command. Soundwave was more than deserving of that title. Starscream had been given far too many chances in the past to redeem himself, all of his attempts failing and dragging him through the same pattern. He was useless to Megatron. All he ever did on the Nemesis was take up space and be an annoyance to their leader.

_He should have let Megatron snuff out my accursed spark!_ he thought self-loathingly.

As soon as his crying stopped, he tiredly laid down on his side next to the sparkling. He wrapped an arm around him, the action soothing him emotionally. Soundwave had said that the little mech was small but had "hope." _What does that mean? _he wondered. He had suggested the name "Epsilon." In mathematics, epsilon meant an arbitrarily small positive quantity. _He must have wanted the name to mean a "small hope."_

The thought made him smile. Yes, the sparkling was his "small hope." He would redeem himself by taking care of the sparkling. If he wasn't fit to play the role as Megatron's second-in-command, he wasn't going to fail at being a carrier for his sparkling.

Starscream thought about Knock Out. Even when he thought that Starscream hated him, the red mech was still willing to take responsibility for the sparkling anyway.

He truly loved him.

He still hadn't been able to get the words out to Knock Out. It was difficult now that Soundwave's life force was on the line capturing the medic's undivided attention, especially since Megatron was monitoring him and Breakdown under a watchful optic.

Starscream didn't even want to think about Megatron anymore. He doubted that Soundwave's attempts at protecting him would change the tyrant's processor. It was likely that Megatron wouldn't hesitate to shoot him if they came across paths again. He shuddered.

"Pi." A little peeping sound came from under his arm. _What? _He looked down.

Epsilon had woken up, staring up at his carrier's optics with that same curious, wide-optic expression from before. Starscream realized that the sparkling hadn't refueled since being born. He was probably hungry.

Starscream rose and plucked the untouched energon cube Knock Out had brought before. He transferred it into a small container and carefully brought it to the sparkling's mouth. The sparkling drained the container happily. It still struck him with astonishment that this was his andKnock Out's little creation. He savored the moment, knowing well that this rare feeling of happiness would end soon enough.

It wouldn't be long before they faced Megatron's wrath again. There was no use in avoiding him. As long as they stayed on the Nemesis, they would have to adhere to the warlord's rule. This wasn't the place for raising a sparkling, especially when there was Airachnid scuttling around freely on the Nemesis with her battalion of menacing Insecticons. Starscream knew she had ulterior motives in working for Megatron. The femme was dangerous, wild, and unpredictable. _Megatron must be desperate for troops_, he thought. Starscream wasn't the only one who went behind his lord's back. Airachnid was worse, being secretive and a master in the dark art of manipulation. He didn't know why Megatron would want the ex-rogue back on the Decepticon team, unless it was out of desperation.

It would never be safe on the Nemesis.

* * *

Knock Out was working under pressure. Breakdown saw the anxiety flooded on the mech's white faceplate. He hadn't said one word about it, knowing well that Megatron was monitoring their every move through the screen Soundwave once used. Breakdown attempted an internal comm link. There was hesitation before Knock Out accepted it through his firewall.

_Hey..._

_What? Can't you see that I'm busy right now? _Knock Out scoffed. He was fusing replacement energon wires to Soundwave's spark chamber lines.

_You're freaking out._

_Am I? I hadn't noticed. Maybe it's because there's LORD MEGATRON watching us!_

Breakdown paused. _How are you and Starscream gonna work it out here? Ya know, with the sparkling and all..._

_I don't know! _he snapped. _It's my fault we're in this mess! If it weren't for me and my damn spike, Starscream wouldn't have had to suffer carrying the sparkling! He never asked for it. He wouldn't have to endure Megatron's slag, and Soundwave wouldn't be on the medberth right now. It's all because of me!_

_Knock Out-..._

He went on a mental rampage._ And it's all my fault that we enlisted with the Decepticons in the first place! I should have ignored Starscream's call. You know, I wasn't expecting to be repairing the most lethal Cybertronian in the universe. I still don't get why he called us in. He wanted to offline Megatron anyway, so why didn't he just let him rust? Frag! All we've ever done is be slaves to Megatron, and he has not compensated us once for our job. This is NOT what I planned to be doing with my life._

Breakdown stayed silent, allowing his friend to vent out his anger. It was going to be a long night.


	14. Chapter 14

Soundwave onlined his optics. He sat up straight on the medberth, placing a servo over where the hole in his chestplate used to be. He wasn't in physical pain anymore, but his loss of respect for his lord left him feeling empty. But still... Somewhere in his spark there was hope for bringing meaning back to the Decepticon cause.

He scanned the medical bay. Knock Out and Breakdown were already gone. They must have let him recharge a bit more after repairing him.

Leaving, he walked wordlessly down the hall to his post at the control room. The mech didn't blame his lord for hurting him, after all, it was his fault that he intervened in the first place. But he still felt that it was wrong to offline Starscream, especially since the Seeker was a carrier...

Even with Lord Megatron's rash behavior, he still had to do his part. No one else was capable of doing the intensive monitoring he did, tracking down the Autobots, decoding the Iacon database, keeping the drones in check, it was an endless list of tasks.

There was still much to be done.

* * *

"Knock Out? You awake?"

Knock Out was facing the wall on the berth next to Breakdown's, brooding. He flipped over onto his side so that he was facing the blue mech.

"...Yeah."

"What's on your processor?"

He sighed. "I've been considering... leaving. I can't stay here anymore, Breakdown."

"You serious? How are you going to do that? And what about Starscream?" His single yellow optic glowed in the darkness.

"Of course I'd bring him. It would be wrong not to." He paused. "Maybe I can convince Soundwave to groundbridge us out... I'll find a way somehow. Breakdown, would you be willing to escape with me, away from this slagging hellhole?"

"You don't have to ask that." Breakdown smiled, dentas showing. "I go wherever you go."

* * *

Starscream couldn't stand being cooped up in his quarters anymore. He had to see Knock Out. The red mech had sent him an internal comm message to meet him at the control panel.

He scooped up Epsilon into his arms and started down the hall. There was a faint clanking sound in the distance. His hold on the sparkling tightened protectively as he whipped around. After scanning his surroundings, he found nothing, turning around. He came face to face with Airachnid.

"Long time no see, Seeker. I thought Lord Megatron scrapped you for a moment there, but it looks like he's still gone soft on you. He must have felt sorry for your pathetic little aft." she jeered playfully.

Starscream gritted his dentas. "Do not test me, femme. I don't have time for your dull processor games. I'll be on my way now." His arm brushed past Airachnid's shoulder roughly. Her mouthplate twitched in a devious smile. _So this is how it's going to be_, she thought. Scurrying in front of Starscream, she managed to block his path. What was he holding...?

"What's that you got in your servos?" she questioned, raising her helm to get a better look. Starscream was much taller than the Predacon.

"It's not your business to know." he growled with impatience, shoving past her. Her small mouth hung open in disbelief, magenta optics narrowing.

She was determined not to give up so easily.

* * *

Soundwave was facing away from the mainframe, nodding in response to Knock Out's proposal.

"Starscream, Soundwave has just agreed to groundbridge us out of here. We don't have to be here anymore."

Starscream stared. "You'd really do that?" The dark mech nodded his helm simply.

"Breakdown is coming, too."

"What about you, Soundwave?"

Soundwave hesitated before speaking in his monotone vocal processor.

"_Cannot leave. Reason: unable to leave post. Hope for improvement in Decepticon cause_."

Starscream felt a pang of disappointment. "I-... I understand."

Soundwave entered a code in the command prompt to start up the groundbridge. The electric green and white vortex swirled into existence before them. He gave one last look at Epsilon, smiling sadly behind his black visor. He didn't want to see the little mech leave, but he knew it was for the best. Anywhere was safer than here.

"Oh my, what do we have here? A sparkling? Looks like things just got a little more _interesting_."

Breakdown stomped a heavy pede. "Airachnid," he warned. He turned to Knock Out and Starscream. "GO!"

Airachnid was quick to react. She shot thick strings of webs at Knock Out, trapping him as he fell to the deck. She was just about to get to Starscream.

"Oh no you don't." Breakdown threw himself at the Predacon, struggling to stop her. Soundwave quickly closed the groundbridge on Starscream and the sparkling, the green vortex engulfing them out of existence.

"WHAT IN UNICRON'S NAME IS GOING ON HERE?" roared Megatron. He scanned over Knock Out in a tangle of webs, Breakdown wrestling with Airachnid, and Soundwave... whatever he was doing. They all straightened themselves, except for Knock Out.

"M-My lord, we were just-..." Airachnid began, but Megatron cut her off.

"Whatever it is you all are bickering about, cease it at once! I am in no mood to tolerate foolishness."

"Yes, my lord." she bowed curtly before scurrying off. He turned to Soundwave.

"And you. It looks like I'm going to need tighter surveillance on this area. I'll be sending some troops to watch your monitoring, seeing as you fail to scan this area properly. I also expect you to take initiation in stopping rows between my officers, not idly standing by watching like a drone. You should know this." He turned to leave.

Breakdown went to Knock Out's side, removing the webs sticking to his plating.

"He's gone..." Knock Out whispered, his optics wide.

Starscream was gone. Winked out of existence. He was safe away from Megatron with the sparkling, but could he make it on his own? Where did Soundwave send him to? He couldn't groundbridge out now, it would be too suspicious, not to mention that there was going to be Vehicons watching Soundwave's every move for Megatron. Soundwave drew closer.

"Where did you send him?" Knock Out demanded, his vocal processor coming out more forceful than he intended.

"_Coordinants: arbitrary. No time to select proper destination_."

Slag! How was he going to contact him now?


	15. Chapter 15

The scorching heat of the sun beat down on Starscream as he dragged himself through the empty desert. His internal cooling fans kicked in, failing miserably to cool down his rapidly-climbing temperature. He checked his chrono-meter. It had been five joors already, and his endless wandering led him nowhere.

_Knock Out should have ground-bridged to me by now_... he thought tiredly. _Airachnid is deadly, but with the combined power of Breakdown and Soundwave, she wouldn't have stood a chance against them. What is taking them so long? Do they even know where I am right now? Frag, I'm in the middle of nowhere, and with a sparkling for Primus' sake!_

His circuitry was close to frying, the intensity of the heat leaving him exasperated. An internal temperature reading alerted him that humidity was forming in the air around him. He could see an army of dark grey clouds gathering ahead. Great, a storm was on its way, and he needed to find shelter. At least if it rained, it wasn't like the acid rain back on Cybertron. With prolonged exposure to acid rain, a Cybertronian's functions and power flow would be disabled, even in some cases leading to offlining. On Earth, water appeared less harmful, perhaps causing a little rusting but nothing too serious.

"Aha!" Starscream looked out into the distance. He could see an entrance into a canyon drawing near. Where there were canyons, there were cliffs and mountains. And possibly some caves. Perfect.

He looked down in his arms to check on the sparkling. Epsilon was looking at the red Decepticon insignia sleepily with heavy-lidded optics. His scarlet optics grew wide when a sudden water droplet from the sky kissed his white faceplate. More raindrops followed, increasing as the clouds marched in their direction. Soon the desert was filled with the uneven rhythm of rain drumming upon the clay-red desert sands. A flash of lightning snaked its way through the clouds, following a heavy roar of thunder cracking through the once lifeless desert. Starscream broke into a run, holding the sparkling close to his chestplate to cover him from the elements.

The walls of the canyon closed around them on either side, towering majestically. The harsh rain continued to beat against Starscream's helm. A gust of wind whirled through the canyon, ghosting over the Seeker's lithe frame. He passed by several columns of rock. There was one in particular that stood out to him in his processor - it was a long pillar balancing an enormous stone on top, the wind and rain having no effect on the formation. It was amazing what curious anomalies Earth could produce through nature. But now he had to focus on seeking shelter.

He entered a clearing, hastily scanning his optics over his surroundings. He spotted a large crevice in the canyon wall that looked like a cave, though it was high up. One arm was wound snug around the sparkling, his other servo bracing himself as he climbed arduously toward the cave. His heeled pede, having poor traction, slipped over the rugged, rain-slippery stone.

"FRAG!" He clawed his servo into the rock, regaining stability. This would have been much easier if he could just transform into his alt mode and fly to where he needed, but despite Epsilon's small size, the sparkling wasn't able to fit inside Starscream's cockpit. He took the trip slow and careful, and after several long breems of climbing, he finally reached the entrance of the cave. He crawled into the mouth of the cave, letting out a vent of relief.

_Everything is so difficult when you do things alone_, he thought. Starscream gently placed Epsilon beside him. He laid on his side, bringing his long legs close to his chestplate while his wings adjusted behind him. He pillowed his arms under his neck cabling as he watched the rain drone on drearily through the canyon, the soaked earth turning a dark-wine shade of red. The rain slowly died down, the sound of soft pattering lulling the Seeker into recharge.

* * *

When Starscream awoke from his recharge, it was pitch black, except for the fiery red glow that emanated from his optics. He switched to night vision. Epsilon had crawled into his arms, nuzzling his pointed helm in the crook of Starscream's neck cabling. He sighed. None of the internal comm link messages he'd sent were being replied to. _There's no signal out here_... he thought, internally cringing. He was truly on his own. Picking up the recharging sparkling and rising, Starscream set forth to explore the cave.

The cave was long, dark and uninviting. His pedes dragged through the gravel and dirt, until suddenly they came in contact with a hard, smooth surface. A clang reverberated through the cave.

"What's this?" He raised the brightness in his night vision, optics tracing over straight lines and panelling on the floor and walls. There were doors up ahead. Familiarity crept up in his circuits. "This is no cave..." he murmured.

_This was the Harbinger!_

When Megatron had been away searching for dark energon, the Harbinger, a smaller Decepticon warship was carrying a prototype weapon, only to be shot out of orbit during a run-in with the Autobots. The result of the battle had broken the ship in two, crash-landing on Earth. When the Nemesis landed on Earth, Starscream had scouted both halves of the ship. Seeing nothing of interest, he hadn't bothered to log in its location into the Nemesis' mainframe.

Starscream felt his fuel tanks running low. Perhaps there was some energon hiding around somewhere on the ship. He searched in the cramped storage room and the destroyed med bay, finding only used containers and empty energon cubes.

"_There's not a single scrap of energon!_" he bursted. "AUGH!" He whipped a black fist through the air, slamming the wall next to him with a bang. He suddenly heard metal doors shifting open behind him. Turning around, he stepped inside the room.

It was the ship's control room. There was a large mainframe spread out in front of him.

"Is it still working?" he wondered aloud, creeping up to the command prompt keypad. With nimble digits, he pushed several holographic keys. The mainframe whirred to life, monitor displaying a green grid with a red dot pulsing in the center of it. After all this time, it was still working. Starscream hadn't searched this part of the ship before.

"With this, I can send out a distress signal!" A smile tugged at the corners of his dermal plating. A newfound feeling of hope crept into his chassis. "Soundwave should be able to pick up on it in no time."

"Pi?" Epsilon peeped, confused at his carrier's sudden enthusiasm.

He wove together a coded message, and with a flick of his digit on the keypad, sent it out.

It would only be a matter of time before someone found his signal.


	16. Chapter 16

"Optimus, I'm picking up on a distress signal of Decepticon origin."

Ratchet continued to zoom in on the signal's location. There were two pulsing dots on the screen. Optimus walked behind Ratchet, staring at the screen over the mech's shoulder.

"I've scanned the area and so far I've only found two energy signatures. One of them is a 'Con, but the other..." Ratchet narrowed his red optical ridges in frustration. "It's definitely Cybertronian, but I can't find anything more than that."

Arcee and Bumblebee entered the base from carrying out their routine patrolling, transforming from their alt modes.

"Did we miss anything?" Arcee called out, noticing the two mechs at the mainframe.

"We have just found Decepticon activity. There is the possibility of another Autobot, or as I've feared, a new Decepticon being involved. There is no time to waste. Bulkhead, stay here with Ratchet and prepare med bay. Ratchet, groundbridge us out."

Ratchet entered the coordinants and pulled down the groundbridge lever. A green and white swirling vortex emerged.

"Autobots, roll out!" Optimus' bass voice boomed. The vortex carried them to their destination.

* * *

The rain continued to pour down on the Harbinger.

Starscream sat against the wall with spread wings, waiting for what seemed like an eternity. The breems ticked by painfully slow. He put down Epsilon on the cold metal deck, watching the little sparkling struggling to get onto his servos and knees. A small chuckle escaped from Starscream's vocal processor as his optics watched Epsilon tenderly.

The Harbinger's mainframe continued to glow in the darkness, that same red dot pulsing on its grid screen. The Seeker was so low on energy... He hoped that he and the sparkling would be able to make it through alive. His optics drooped down to slits, until he was alarmed by a sudden blaring sound coming from the mainframe.

"What now?" He moved over to the screen, gaping. There were three Autobot energy signatures right outside the Harbinger.

"No!"

The last time he tried siding with the Autobots, he had accidentally let his glossa slip out the fact that he offlined Cliffjumper. Arcee, once being Cliffjumper's partner, grew furious with the Seeker and had engaged in an unwanted duel with him. Starscream had tried to worm his way out of the fight, but failed. She was quite fierce for a femme, and seemed most unable to let go of the past.

There was no use in getting on their good side again, Arcee especially...

Starscream hefted Epsilon into his arms. If he had a sparkling, he reasoned, then there was a chance that they wouldn't attack him right away.

That was the plan, anyway.

* * *

[_What's this?_] Bumblebee beeped, wincing as droplets of rain splashed against his faceplate. The Harbinger's dark grey hull was wedged deep into the cliffside. There was a gaping hole on its side, exposing its interior. Optimus spoke.

"If I recall correctly, this is one half of the Harbinger. Before discovering this planet, one of our Autobot ships were in pursuit after the Decepticons, who at that time were using the Harbinger to deliver a weapon prototype to Megatron. The ship was shot down, and its halves must have landed here on Earth."

Arcee leaped onto onto a rock ledge. She threw her slender blue frame at the entrance in the ship, somersaulting and landing on her black pedes with a clang.

"We can enter through here." she said.

Bumblebee followed after her, Optimus behind them. He transformed his arm into his blaster, the weapon glowing blue as it charged.

"We should all split up and search the ship. Comm me if you encounter anyone, and proceed with caution." he warned as they were swallowed by the darkness.

* * *

Starscream exited the control room, arms wound tight around the sparkling. His spark was beating fast, scarlet optics searching his surroundings frantically. Doubt clouded his processor. _Maybe this isn't such a good idea_, he thought. Why did he feel so afraid around the Autobots now? This wasn't the first time he was going to face them alone. His true emotions, he noticed, had been crawling out of their shells ever since his situation with Knock Out and having the sparkling. Now he felt even more vulnerable.

Weak.

He froze upon seeing a pair of ice-blue optics staring right back at him at the other end of the dark hall.

"_Augh, you again!_" Arcee growled, both arms transforming into blasters and aiming at their target. She was supposed to comm Optimus, but this chance was hers for the taking.

There was still some unfinished business to take care of with this mech.

"I-I don't mean a-any harm!" Starscream stuttered. "Look, I'm not even armed! P-Please... _have mercy!_"

"Are you really going to beg mercy from me? You obviously didn't show any when you extinguished Cliff!" she barked, blasters whirring as they were powered up to a higher charge. "You of all mechs don't deserve mercy. Not after what you did to my partner."

"N-NO! PLEASE DON'T SHOOT!"

She fired without hesitation. Starscream ducked out of the way, dashing into the darkness as he slipped into one of the storage rooms. He quickly hid Epsilon in a crate before stabilizing on his pedes, locking the door.

Arcee gritted her dentas. "Come and fight me like a real mech!"

There was no shaking off this Autobot.

She retracted her blasters, slamming a fist into the door's keypad. The keypad crackled and hissed before the door slowly shifted open.

"Where are you hiding?" Arcee scowled as she searched the room. Behind a pile of crates, she saw a wing poking out. "Aha."

His spark was pounding furiously. She grabbed him roughly by the wing, pulling him up to stand.

"I'm giving you a fighting chance. It's what Cliff would have done." She waited as she posed in a fighting stance, half-expecting to hear a witty retort from the Seeker. To her surprise, he was silent, averting her optics. "Well? Come on already!"

"...I don't want to fight you." he mumbled almost too quietly to hear. Arcee grew impatient. This mech was really getting on her nerves. Starscream had taken away the one mech that mattered to her the most. She would do anything to avenge her partner, the one she loved. _Cliffjumper_... Grief and rage filled her processor as she poured the emotions into her fist, raising it back.

She striked.

Arcee stared, mouth hung open in disbelief. Starscream hadn't moved an inch. His helm was turned to the side, a scuff mark where her fist came in contact with his silver faceplate. He fixed his gaze on the ground.

_What the frag? Why isn't he doing anything? _Arcee thought._ He's supposed to strike me back._

"_You coward!_ Trying to gain my sympathy with that pathetic act of yours?" she scoffed. "Don't even bother putting the blame on someone else, or saying that someone else forced you to do it. _You _had a choice when you snuffed out my partner's spark."

Each word was an emotionally-painful jab at his spark. His processor swarmed in turmoil. "You're a _murderer_."

Overwhelmed, Starscream finally burst out crying, slumping to his knees as he buried his faceplate into his servos. Coolant streamed from his optics, trailing down his faceplate and dripping from his jaw. His shoulders shook as he sobbed uncontrollably in a nervous breakdown.

Every word she spoke was true. He was a murderer. Apologizing wasn't going to bring Cliffjumper back. The reason he had killed the red mech in the first place was to earn Megatron's appraisal. That didn't even matter to Starscream anymore. He didn't care about his own pride. He just wanted everything to stop.

Arcee didn't know what to do. She watched the Seeker as he broke down in front of her. Guilt racked her circuits.

_He's such a mess_, she thought bitterly. Steps drew close somewhere behind her. She turned around.

Bumblebee was in the doorway, looking at her with sad optics as he held Epsilon in his arms.


	17. Chapter 17

Arcee rubbed her digits on her fore-helm.

_Arcee to Optimus. I found Starscream. Bumblebee and I are on the first floor in a storage room._

_I shall be there momentarily. What is his status?_

_He's... unarmed._ She wasn't sure how to explain the sparkling being there.

_Alright. Do not let your guard down. Keep a close optic on him._

Optimus ended the comm link.

Arcee took a deep air intake. Bumblebee's round, innocent blue optics pleading to her were getting on her nerves. He had no right to interrupt her fight with the pathetic Seeker. She didn't even care that there was a sparkling involved. It was just another distraction that would make her feel guilty.

The blue femme was justified in getting back at Starscream, especially after he murdered her partner without mercy. From the very beginning, the Seeker had stood by Megatron's side as his second-in-command. He was the one who let that blood-craved monster defile Cybertron!

Megatron had let their precious home fall to ruins with sick hopes that any remaining Cybertronians would be forced to depend on his lordship to give back their planet. He gave ridiculous speeches on how he would be the one to restore Cybertron back to the Golden Age in its full glory, but that could only happen if all Cybertronians kowtowed to his twisted rule. Lies. He just wanted to be in power. Now there were no more Cybertronians to speak up for themselves. The planet was a dead rock. Why did Starscream even bother to join up with the Decepticons? With Megatron, no one was going to get their way. The Decepticons were just a bunch of dysfunctional, power-hungry slaggers. It was disgusting to her.

She looked at Starscream, whose frame was still racking with spark-wrenching sobs. She wasn't expecting any of this, especially not from the cunning and dangerous mech that stabbed everyone in the back.

_Ugh_... she thought.

Optimus entered the storage room. Concerned optics lingered upon the Seeker, until his attention was turned to the sparkling resting in Bumblebee's arms. The yellow scout beeped through his broken vocalizer.

[_I found him in that crate over there. He must be the other energy signature Ratchet picked up_...]

The Autobot leader paused. He didn't foresee a situation like this happening. He had to act quick.

_Ratchet, I'm going to need a groundbridge at my coordinants._

_You can't be serious! I'm detecting a Decepticon energy signature right next to you!_

_The situation has taken... a rather unexpected turn. Please trust me on this one, old friend._

The medic huffed before agreeing reluctantly.

"W-What are you doing?" Starscream croaked, lifting his helm from his coolant-drenched servos. "You aren't going to take him away from me, are you? I'll tell you anything you need to know!"

Optimus eyed him hard, taking a moment to formulate a response. "And what is it you expect in return?"

Starscream didn't want to go back to the Decepticons, not while Megatron, Dreadwing and Airachnid were on the Nemesis. He knew that the Prime was strong, but even the large mech had a soft spot for those annoying human creatures, or in this case, possibly sparklings. Perhaps he could stay under the protection of the Autobots for a while, at least until he came up with a way to contact Knock Out...

"I want to be... on your side."

"Optimus!" Arcee snapped angrily. "You aren't considering bringing Starscream back to base with us! Not after what he did to Cliffjumper!" She knitted her optical ridges with hatred for the Seeker.

"Starscream's loyalty to Megatron has always been questionable. If he has truly split from the Decepticons, our prisoner's knowledge of their agendas could make him a valuable ally."

"_Please _be reasonable about this! We all know that Starscream is a suckup to anyone as long as he benefits on his own end, not to mention that he's a lying backstabber."

He sighed heavily. _Ugh, another one of his speeches_, she thought.

"Every sentient being deserves an opportunity for redemption. Without that hope, we may never achieve lasting peace."

Arcee crossed her arms. A groundbridge portal emerged from behind them. Starscream stared as the Prime walked toward him.

"I'm sorry, but we cannot have you knowing the location of our base yet."

Starscream felt an electrical wave pulse through his chassis, rendering him unconscious.

* * *

At the control panel, Megatron was intently watching the screen as Soundwave carried out his duties. They didn't bother to bring up the incident that caused Soundwave to be on the medberth, acting as though nothing happened. It was better that way. Soundwave didn't want to further anger his lord.

"Soundwave, report your findings to me." The communications officer hesitated.

"_Decepticon distress signal and Autobot activity detected. Location: Harbinger. Energy signatures: ...vanished one breem ago_."

"The Harbinger... That is the ship Starscream failed to log into our database!" he spat. "How strange. What could the Autobots have been up to there, and why the sudden hurry to leave?"

Soundwave didn't answer, silently documenting the sighting. He tapped into a internal comm link frequency to Knock Out that couldn't be overheard by any other bots. There was no need to request access to his firewall. He just hacked his way directly into the mech's processor.

* * *

..._Hello?_ Knock Out called internally.

Since there were no troops to repair, he went to rest in his quarters with Breakdown, discussing various ways to escape off of the Nemesis.

_Starscream: safe with Autobots. Last location: Harbinger._

The mech's audial fins twitched in response. _Starscream... He's alright! _Knock Out didn't fancy him being with the Autobots, but as long as he and the sparkling were safe, that was all that mattered. Now to get to him was the only problem.

_Autobot base: still unable to uncover location._

_I see... Thank you for letting me know, Soundwave. _They ended the link.

Breakdown eyed Knock Out staring into the distance.

"Uh, Knock Out?" The red mech snapped out of his daze.

"Soundwave just commed me. He said that Starscream is with the... Autobots."

"You've got to be kidding me." Anger built up in his blue chassis as he thought of Bulkhead being there. His rivalry with the hulking green Wrecker was strong. Breakdown didn't mind leaving the Decepticons, but for the Autobots? There was no chance in convincing his processor.

"I'm not sure if their leader is going to tolerate Starscream for very long... Starscream's trust bonds with the Autobots have been severed _way _back."

"Then we gotta get him out of there." Breakdown smirked.

He wouldn't mind paying a little visit to his rival if it meant being able to fight him.


	18. Chapter 18

Starscream's systems whirred to life, a processor ache lingering in his helm. He was enveloped in darkness, frame cramped in some kind of confined space. _Where the frag am I? _he wondered. A heavy weight bound his wings together as he sat up. _A wing clamp?! Great, they still don't trust me after all! To the Pit with those damn Autobots! Clearly they only see me as a prisoner... Frag, this will be the last time I'll ever turn to them... _He attempted to move his arms, realizing with frustration that they were restricted by a pair of glowing stasis cuffs. His spark pulsed with anxiety through the natural spark-bond reaction of not being near Epsilon.

_Where did they take him? Are they not going to let me see him anymore? _Loss and emptiness clouded over his spark. He could feel the distance breaking him. If he was going to be denied his own sparkling because the Autobots thought of him as an unsuitable carrier, then he would be forced to put up a fight. There was no way in the Pit that he was going to hand Epsilon over. His swarming processor was interrupted by the sound of metal clanging nearby. He pressed his audio receptor against a wall, tuning in on the Prime's echoing bass vocalizer.

Optimus took a deep intake of air, glancing at his trailer where the Seeker was confined.

"As you all are no doubt aware, Starscream has taken it upon himself to join our cause. If his intentions are sincere, our prisoner will prove to be useful in sharing his knowledge of the Decepticons' agenda."

"There's no way he'd rat out the 'Cons!" Bulkhead grumbled.

The blue femme rolled her optics. "Starscream wouldn't betray them." Arcee crossed her arms, knitting her optical ridges, not bothering to hide her scowl.

Optimus sighed tiredly, knowing well that it would take a lot of time for them to adjust.

"We must also take in consideration the circumstances he was found in regarding the sparkling, as we do not know the events that led to his current condition. Please keep an open processor, but be wary. Only time will tell if he's truly on our side."

The massive green Wrecker gaped with his mouth hung open. "Wait a klik. _A sparkling?_ Since when-..." He interrupted himself as laughter bursted uncontrollably out of his vocalizer, shaking his large frame. "Sorry, it's just... too much for me to handle."

Inside the trailer, Starscream huffed out his sudden irritation with the Autobot.

[_So what are we going to do about the sparkling? He can't be away from his carrier forever..._] the yellow scout beeped with concern for the little mech. Arcee scoffed, but Optimus paid no mind to her reaction.

"Ratchet is tending to the sparkling at the moment. I am still considering the best course of action to take... You may all go to recharge now." the Autobot leader finished. They all retreated to their quarters.

_That's it? _Starscream thought. The Seeker was lying on his side, trying to find a comfortable position with his restraints in the way.

He would have to wait for the next orn to come before knowing what they would do with him.

* * *

Ratchet surprisingly wasn't acting bitter about the situation, at least not toward the sparkling. He was busy staying up in medical bay running scans on Epsilon. It had been a long while since he'd seen a sparkling, sometime around the Golden Age on Cybertron. _This one is quite small_, he noted, blue optics scanning over the minuscule white frame before him. All systems were fully functional, although the sparkling was running low on energon.

He plucked an energon cube from the storage room, concocting a diluted version of the liquid before placing it in a small cylindrical container. Pure energon was too strong for a sparkling's fuel tank to handle. Attaching the container to a feeding tube, he inserted it into one of Epsilon's energon lines.

_There. My work is done now. _He stared at Epsilon with electric-blue optics, watching as the sparkling recharged soundly. He looked so peaceful.

_By the All-Spark, it's hard to believe that this little mech was produced by a... a Decepticon. Of all the things..._ He shook his helm with closed optics, digits rubbing his temples. This sparkling was better off not being exposed to the Decepticon entourage, that was certain. Every bot that came in contact with those fragging Decepticreeps either became corrupted or left for scrap.

Like Cliffjumper.

Murdered by the Seeker, he was mutilated, transformed into a sparkless monster that tore through everything in his path like some botched science experiment. The once energetic, daring mech was no longer in there. Even the dead weren't free from Megatron's reign.

Ratchet wasn't about to let another life-force be stained by the servos of those filthy, demoralizing excuses for mechs.

_Especially not Starscream, not after all of the things he did to us, taking away one of our own... _he thought. _Optimus is too soft on them! He had so many chances to offline Megatron... Why does he keep hesitating? Killing is still killing, be it done mercilessly or with his patriotic "honor." One sacrifice is nothing compared to the entire planet of losses we've endured. If Optimus keeps letting Megatron off the hook, the Decepticons are going to devastate this planet, too! We have to put an end to the Decepticons now, and strike precisely where it hurts!_

* * *

"Augh! I can't stand it anymore!" Knock Out threw his buffing tool at the wall. He furiously shouted a long string of curses as he made dramatic movements with his arms. Nothing was going the way he wanted. Insecticons and Vehicon troops had been getting into heated quarrels lately, which tended to escalate into violent brawling. It was mostly because the Vehicons were provoking the Insecticons with vehement criticism, degrading them for being "primitive scrap-eaters."

Megatron turned a blind optic to the issue. They would often come into medical bay seeking repairs after their foolish fights. It was all getting ridiculous, especially since the Insecticons were impossible to work on without the medic receiving snappish complaints or noncompliance.

_What did I do to deserve this?_

He slid down with his back against the wall, hiding his scratched faceplate with silver servos. Trying to settle down their fights, he'd acquired several nicks and scratches on his once gleaming red finish. It was getting annoying to keep up with his constant buffing. Knock Out even complained to Megatron about it, but the warlord dismissed it as just "merely a scratch." Nothing he did could ease his stress on the Nemesis.

What was taking Breakdown so long? He hadn't seen his friend in a while, not since a couple orns ago. In fact, he didn't see anyone else on the Nemesis, aside from the troops and Insecticons. _Did everyone just leave? I know Soundwave's still here, but he hasn't contacted me in a while. He's stuck in that control room..._

He thought of Starscream and the sparkling. _I have to get to them..._

His thoughts were interrupted when the medical bay door suddenly shifted open, revealing a severely beaten Dreadwing dragging himself with one arm gripping the other. Energon was leaking from the arm, and there was white sticky webbing clinging to his frame.

_Airachnid_.

"Did you get yourself in a scrap with the spider, _Commander Dreadwing?_" the medic questioned irritably, lifting himself up onto his pedes. When Megatron discovered Starscream's sudden disappearance, the warlord had declared the Seeker a rogue, giving the second-in-command position to Dreadwing. It was fitting for him, actually. The larger blue Seeker did have a more commanding presence than their former, but it still pained Knock Out to remind him that Starscream was no longer here.

"Lord Megatron-... augh, sent me and Breakdown to put an end to her treachery... Her motives for joining the Decepticons weren't so... approving to his lordship. We weren't able to catch her." Dreadwing winced as the gouge in his arm caused pain to flare up in his sensors.

_An assassination mission_, Knock Out thought. The power struggle within the Decepticons was even more noticable than ever.

Knock Out paused. "So, where's Breakdown?"

The navy-blue mech was silent for a while.

Knock Out felt his spark plummet deep in his chestplate like a heavy weight. Dread washed over his processor in cold waves. _It couldn't be. There's just no way..._

The commander cleared his vocalizer. "Unfortunately, he was... terminated, by Airachnid's doing. I'm sorry."

_No._

Knock Out's frame tensed. Grief overwhelmed his entire being. His one and only friend, gone. As if things couldn't get any worse. Fury toward the wretched spider burned flames in his red optics. If he ever saw Airachnid again, she didn't know what was coming to her.

And now he was truly alone.


	19. Chapter 19

Ratchet finished placing Epsilon into a small stasis pod. He turned around to leave, nearly jumping at the sight of his leader.

"Y-You startled me there for a moment. I thought you went to recharge already..."

The Prime shook his helm, wearing a frown. It appeared that something was troubling him, his blue optics pensive over some other matter Ratchet couldn't see.

_What goes on in that processor of his? It's foolish of him to keep a Decepticon here. Someone has got to convince him this! _The medic cleared his vocalizer.

"Optimus, as much as I'd hate to question your judgment, I am strongly opposed to bringing Starscream here to base of all places... He's a _Decepticon_." He spat out the word with as as much hatred he could muster.

"That cannot be determined unless he proves himself sincere in his decision to become an Autobot."

"_But he murdered Cliffjumper._" Ratchet growled.

"I understand your discomfort with the present situation, old friend. But we must allow him a chance at redemption. This war has gone on for far too long, and we have lost a great many along the way. It is not my intention to bring harm to any more sentient beings. We have an obligation to convince the Decepticons that not only what they are doing is wrong, but that there are more important matters to attend to other than war. I will do everything in my power to see to it that we can all come to peaceful terms as Cybertronians, until all are one."

"I'm not going to accept that his programming suddenly changed just because he had a _sparkling_. Oh, and speaking of the sparkling, just what_ exactly _are you going to do about that?" He waved a servo to the side.

"I am still debating the proper course of action on that matter. For now, the sparkling shall remain in our care, that is, until we can find no reason to deny him to his carrier." Optimus paused. He spoke to him sternly. "It would be best if you went to recharge now."

The tone of his voice told Ratchet that their conversation was over.

* * *

_Starscream was lying on the medberth, squinting as he saw a black figure hovering over him. He felt a sudden warmth of familiarity, sighing at the thought of its comforting presence. The figure murmured something, but it was too low for Starscream to hear. He reached out his left servo to touch the silhouette, confused when he came in contact with nothing. It was like touching air, as though it didn't even exist. The figure began to shrink away into the distance until it was swallowed by a blinding light, his vision clouded. For some reason, seeing the figure vanish caused him to feel a pang of incompleteness he couldn't explain._

He onlined his optics. _Is something wrong with my memory banks?_

It wasn't unheard of for a Cybertronian to have dream sequences similar to a human's, though it was rare. He wondered what it meant, turning over onto his side.

His restraints left a terrible crick in his wings and wrists, so he disabled his vocalizer of any complaints. Pressing his audio receptor to the trailer wall, he heard the familiar roar of an activated groundbridge vortex.

"Ratchet, remain here and guard our prisoner." said Optimus. "We shall be back momentarily. _Autobots, roll out!_"

Starscream heard the metal-shifting of transformation and the zapping of the groundbridge. His patience was growing thin with the Autobots.

_Why did they bring me here if they aren't going to let me out?_

* * *

Knock Out had long lost his processor. With Breakdown, it was easier to handle the consequences of their mistakes in the presence of Lord Megatron, especially since they were friends, but now he had no one to fall back on. He had no emotional support. Megatron became even more demanding of his assistance with missions. They were all dull and tiresome, often ending in failures resulting in severe punishment. He no longer showed enthusiasm for detailing his paint job, nor did he care to buff it. No matter what he did, scratches were unavoidable. Hot anger boiled in his circuits. He finally snapped.

"It's not _my _fault we're getting nowhere!" he shouted. "If you're so tired of us not doing the job right, why don't _you _go on those fragging missions yourself!"

"_Do not raise your voice at me._" Megatron's vocalizer was low and steady. "You _will _learn to carry out my orders without complaint. Unless you'd rather I change my processor regarding your usefulness, _doctor_. Now get out of my sight."

Knock Out fumed, arms shaking as he clenched his servos into fists. He turned around and stormed out of the command deck.

_If only there was a way I could get off this fragged-up ship. _He glanced at the Vehicons passing by him. An idea lit up in his processor.

The risks were high, but it could very well be his only ticket out. It was worth a shot, especially if it meant being able to see Starscream again.

* * *

Ratchet grumbled as long joors passed by. There was nothing to do. At the very least he wanted to do something productive. He finally left to go in the storage room to find the formula tablets Bulkhead had written for creating synthetic energon.

_Since I've got nothing to do I might as well work on the formula. It needs revisions... What could have gone wrong with the last batch, I wonder?_

He became lost in his thoughts, hoping to distract himself from the current situation.

* * *

As soon as the medic was out of hearing range, Starscream felt around the end wall of the trailer.

_Now where is it?_

His digits came in contact with a small metal bar, which he assumed to be a door handle. He tugged, but it didn't budge.

_It must be locked from the outside._ Using the weight of his stasis cuffs, he striked the door repeatedly, causing dents in its metal frame.

* * *

Ratchet returned to the main room, dropping his tablets. The trailer was busted open, stasis cuffs broken on the ground.

"_Primus_, no."

He rushed to his medical station. The stasis pod had been opened, and there was no sparkling inside.

"SCRAP!"

* * *

**Oops, sorry for the late post!**

**School sort of happened. Yeah. -_-**


End file.
